The Merger
by Sucker4Scandal
Summary: Olivia lives on the East Coast & works for a successful toy company. Fitz lives on the West Coast & works for a rival toy company. Their lives are about to come together much like the companies they work for. Will they be able to keep things strictly business? Or will pleasure overlap somewhere?
1. Chapter 1

_I KNOW! I'm supposed to be writing LFTO. This has been rolling around in my brain for a few months now & I finally got the chance to write it down. It's something different. Tell me what you think. Should I continue it or not?_

Breaking It To Ya

Olivia's POV  
Olivia Pope walked into her office in the New York branch of The Toy Box and quietly closed the door. She was a regional manager and had been for three years. Earning the title at the age of twenty-nine made her the youngest regional manager in the company. It had been no easy feat and she had had to work long hours, coming in before anyone else and staying long after everyone had gone home for the evening. But she was single and had no children so climbing up the corporate ladder hadn't been very difficult to do. She loved her job and took it very seriously. Both were traits the suits upstairs had noticed and mentioned when she had finally been appointed regional manager.

She had started out as a part time cashier in a nearby store when she was in high school. She had always loved babies and kids, coming from a large family of four. So far only one of her three brothers had provided Olivia with a niece or nephew, but at only two years old, Sophia was her favorite person in the whole world. Olivia thoroughly enjoyed watching and helping the families that entered the store finding the perfect toy for their own children or a gift for a birthday party. She always went above and beyond for her customers, and they always noticed. Most of them even asked for her by name when they returned.

A few years later Olivia went to college and majored in business. Her classes came easy to her and she earned a 4.0 grade point average every semester. She was constantly on the Dean's List and never worried about losing the scholarships she had worked so hard for in high school. During her college years, Olivia continued to work as many hours possible at The Toy Box. She dreamed of working her way up in the company that she loved and step by step it happened.

During college she had become a weekend manager. She spent almost all of her time at the store on weekends making schedules, putting out fires, encouraging the staff to do more than what was required of them, and coming up with creative displays to catch the customer's eyes. Her superiors loved everything she did and after she graduated she was promoted to head store manager. A position Olivia really excelled at. She still had her eye on a corporate position and pressed the issue when it was time for her annual review.

It seems her efforts hadn't gone unnoticed by the higher ups and they offered her the opportunity to turn a flailing store around in a town an hour away. She would only have to be there for a year and it was her opportunity to show them what she could do. It wasn't what she was hoping for, but also knew she had to earn her way higher up into the company. So she took the job.

Three months later, sales at her new store were higher and so was the employee morale. She took the time to meet each and every one of them one on one to find out more about them and what their vision was for their future. Olivia weeded out the ones who were just there for a paycheck and utilized the ones who wanted to be part of something bigger within the company. She gave them tasks to challenge them in their positions, to better their store. To see what they could do. To see what they were made of.

Within six months, Olivia's new store was thriving and had increased sales by 76%. The higher ups were very impressed with her leadership and people skills. When they visited the store they talked to several of the employees and each of them had only positive things to say about Olivia. It seemed she had a gift and leadership was definitely part of it. When the year was up they brought her into corporate and gave her a job as branch manager. From there she continued to work hard and eventually got to where she was now.

That seemed like forever ago.

As she leaned against her closed door she flipped off the light switch on the wall and rubbed her forehead. A few hours ago she had felt the dull throb, marking the beginning of a headache. Now her head exploded with pain and she just wanted to lie down somewhere. Instead she walked to her desk, pulled the second drawer on the right, opened the large bottle of pain reliever, and swallowed two of the white caplets. Olivia blamed the headache on that damned meeting her boss, Cyrus Beene, had called where he delivered the "happy news" of a merger between their company and their rival Toy Land.

It wasn't just the news of the merger that had given her a headache. She found out in that meeting that one of the Regional Managers at Toy Land was also up for a promotion. Olivia's promotion. So now she had competition. Real competition. That brass ring was hers and she was going to get it. No matter what it took. And some guy from Toy Land was not going to get in her way. Some prick named Fitzgerald Grant. Even his name sounded pretentious. He was probably some forty year old fat balding guy who was married with three kids and did just what was required of him to move his way up. He wasn't going to be a problem for Olivia, she decided.

She sat at her desk watching the rain fall in unrelenting sheets from the gray sunless sky. The dreary day mirrored exactly how Olivia was feeling at the moment. She willed the pain behind her eyes to go away so she could think in her dark office. Not only was her company merging with another, but this Fitzgerald Grant asshole, who lived and worked in California, had been assigned to travel with her to the major branches of both companies to inform them of new policies, changes in management, and put out any fires that would naturally come from employees learning of the merger. People were going to panic about their jobs, their 401k, their retirement, and pretty much anything they could think of. It was going to be a nightmare.

Still, Olivia knew they had chosen her to represent The Toy Box because of her amazing people skills. She just had a natural way of calming people and connecting with them that was sometimes difficult for others. She could rally people together and encourage them to become positive in a seemingly difficult environment. And she had been where they all had been before. From a cashier to a branch manager and anything in between. She knew what weighed heavily on their minds when it came to their jobs. Yet she was an authority figure too, so she was capable of answering the hard questions about the things employees in this situation would have. She was the perfect person for the task that needed doing. She wondered what Mr. Grant's qualifications were that dictated that he join her on this huge undertaking?

She'd find out soon enough. Olivia had been told in the meeting that she would fly to one of their branches in sunny California, where she would meet her male counterpart. She was not thrilled about it to say the least. And even though she had never been to California but always wanted to, this was not the way she imagined her first trip west. This Grant guy had better know his shit about the company. And he'd better be prepared to answer questions. She hoped he had been updated on all of the changes that would take place as well as the things that would remain the same. There were a lot of people who needed answers and a fumbling executive would do nothing to calm their fears.

Olivia picked up her phone and pushed one button. Her assistant, Lori answered promptly. "Yes, Miss Pope?"

"Lori, I'm going to need a plane ticket to LAX for tomorrow. Something before six a.m. if possible. It's a little over a five hour flight and I want to hit the road running once I've landed."

"Yes, ma'am." Lori answered, writing it down and knowing more was coming.

"I'll also need a hotel room and a rental car for two days. I'll be traveling a lot over the next month or so and I will stay in touch with you via email for assistance with other hotel accommodations as I travel. I'm sorry to add this to your busy schedule and I do appreciate your amazing skills at taking care of me."

Lori smiled into the phone. Miss Pope was a fantastic boss. She always treated her like a person, not like some of the other executives did their assistants. It made working for her so much more enjoyable. "I'll take care of that right away and email you all of the verifications. If you need anything else just let me know."

"Thank you, Lori. I'd be lost without you." Olivia confessed.

"My pleasure." Lori said before ending the call.

Olivia dug out her calendar and wrote down the stops Cyrus had discussed with her on the correlating dates. So far she knew of twelve branches they would cover. Olivia was sure that more would eventually be added, but twelve was a good number. The thought of living out of her suitcase for a several weeks did not appeal to her, but the job had to be done. She made notes of which clothes she would pack, knowing there wouldn't be time for sightseeing. She would have to go by her brother's house after work to see Sophia before she left on her trip. The thought of bringing her niece some things back from different states gave her some hope of possible enjoyment.

By the end of the day, Olivia had several lists in her purse. She had a lot to do tonight, but first she needed some happy toddler cuddles. She left her office building and drove forty-five minutes to her brother's house and walked in without invitation. Olivia put her purse down and called out for them. "Harrison? Leesa?"

"We're in the kitchen!" He yelled.

Olivia made her way through their living room and found the happy little family of three eating dinner at the table. Once Sophia made eye contact with her aunt, the two began grinning at each other. Sophia banged her little spoon on the tray of her high chair and kicked her feet excitedly. Olivia kissed her chubby cheeks and said, "Someone is happy to see aunt Wib."

"She's done eating if you want to get her?" Leesa said with a smile.

"What do you think, sweet girl? Do you want aunt Wib to pick you up?" Olivia watched as the toddler dropped her spoon and reached her dirty little hands up. "I think that's a yes."

"Liv. She's got mashed potatoes all over her face. She's going to get you dirty." Harrison warned.

"That's what the dry cleaners are for huh, Miss Sophia? Yea." Still, Olivia carried her to the sink where she turned on a slow trickle of warm water so the little girl could run her hands under it to clean them. Olivia wiped her face thoroughly and dried her fingers off. "There's my best girl!" She held her close to her and gave her niece a long hug as she rocked her back and forth and listened to the little girl say 'Wib' repeatedly.

"Rough day?" Her sister in law asked.

"Rough would be tolerable. Rough is expected. Rough would be a vacation. No. Today was unimaginable." Olivia said with Sophia on her hip.

"Oh shit. What's going on in the corporate world?"

"Don't say that in front of Sophia," Leesa chided her husband.

Harrison fought the urge to roll his eyes at his wife. He knew that would lead to one raised eyebrow. What happened after that was anyone's guess. "So what's the problem?"

"I have to leave in the morning for the Golden State." She said without enthusiasm.

"Where the he...heck is that?" Harrison asked.

"How are we related? California, Harrison! I'm going to California." Olivia did roll her eyes at her brother.

"What exactly is there that you could possibly need to do for your job that is here in New York?" He asked with a confused face.

"We are merging with another company and I have the privilege of traveling there to talk to branch managers and employees about it. I'm super excited." She dead panned.

"That does not sound like a good way to make your maiden voyage there," Leesa offered sympathetically.

"It definitely isn't. That's why I had to come here to get some baby lovin' before I leave in the morning. Isn't that right, Sophia?" Olivia babbled happily.

"Are you going to tell your other two brothers that you're leaving?" Harrison asked.

"I'll call them when I get home." She sighed. "They don't have anything quite as cute to offer me yet, so they get a phone call instead of a personal visit. Maybe they'll change their ways?"

Harrison laughed at her. "I wouldn't count on it. But we're glad you came by." He picked up his wife's plate and carried it to the sink along with his own. "If you get home sick you can call or FaceTime with us."

Olivia hugged the baby closer, smelling her hair as she rubbed the little girl's back. "I definitely will. I've got to get going though. I've got a lot to do tonight with packing and phone calls. I love you guys. Take care of my girl while I'm gone." She hugged Sophie close to her and kissed her chubby cheeks before handing her back to her mother. Olivia hugged Harrison and Leesa goodbye, picked up her purse in the living room, and shut the front door behind her.

Once she got home, Olivia called her brothers and explained the situation to them both, told them she loved them, and that she would call to check on them every so often. The four of them were a tight knit set of siblings since they had lost their parents a few years ago. Olivia was thankful that she had them.

She grabbed the suitcases from her hall closet and set about packing business suits, shoes, jewelry, toiletries, and everything else that was on her list. If she forgot something she would just buy a replacement. If she had time. She zipped up her bags, threw a few magazines into her small carry on, along with a pair of white headphones and zipped it up as well. She was ready to go.

Olivia set her alarm for the morning, got her pajamas on, and brushed her teeth. She was exhausted, but knew she should do a little light reading on the branch she would be visiting the day after tomorrow. She wanted to know as much as she could about the employees, the manager, the vendors, the profit margins, and anything else she could think of. She wanted to know what made them tick.

Crawling into her bed, she pulled the light comforter up to her waist and set her laptop on her thighs. Keeping only the bedside lamp on, Olivia searched for what she was looking for and scrolled through endless information about the west coast branches. She thought briefly about looking into Fitzgerald Grant, but decided that she would rather form her own opinion of the man when they met tomorrow instead of letting whatever facts the internet had on him cloud her judgement or make her feel threatened by his accomplishments. Besides, he wasn't the job. Two hours later she fell asleep.

Fitz's POV  
Over on the West Coast, Fitzgerald Grant was eating dinner at home alone. Steak and baked potato. His favorite. He hadn't been home long from the office but food was the first thing on his agenda tonight. He would be putting in a few more hours doing research on this mystery woman whom he would be traveling with over the next few months. He was eager to learn all there was to know about Olivia Pope and he figured he would be able to concentrate on the digging without the diversion of hunger.

At forty-two years old, he was a regional manager for Toy Land in southern California. He was the only child of his parents and sadly, in their opinion, he had no wife or children. They constantly harped on him to settle down and give them grandchildren, but he wasn't interested in that life. A few years ago his mother took him aside and quietly asked him if he was gay. She told him she didn't care how he lived his life or with whom he wanted to live it. She just wanted him to be happy. Fitz had hugged her close to him and reported that he was not, in fact, gay. That he just hadn't found the right woman yet to settle down with. She immediately decided to play match maker and tried unsuccessfully to set him up with anyone she could think of. It was annoying to Fitz, but he understood. She missed having tiny feet running around the house. He explained to her, after four terrible dates, that he would find the right girl when the time was right. That he was married to his job. He was completely content right now.

Fitz was married to his job, but his mistress was being outside. It didn't matter what the reason was, in his mind, being outside was where he felt truly himself. Any sport was worth trying at least once. He had tried his hand at surfing, soccer, baseball, football, and even golf. He wasn't a huge fan of it, but the scenery was beautiful. Basketball was where he really shined though. Every Saturday he had an outdoor basketball court reserved for him and his friends to play for an hour. They never left until they had been there for at least two hours though.

If his office wasn't so far away from his house, Fitz would have gladly biked to work every day. He did however, take his lunch breaks outside most days. Unless it was raining. Some days he would grab his laptop, take the elevator down to the ground floor, and go outside to work. He made no secret about where he went when he wasn't in the building during office hours. Everyone came to understand it.

His boss, Abby Wheelan, had called him into her office a few weeks ago to share some interesting news that was not to be shared with anyone else. It was confidential information that hadn't been released by the company to any of the "unworthies" as she liked to call them. That was Abby code for lower management. While Abby was a beast at her job, she didn't really have or make time for anyone on a lower rung on the ladder than she was. Somehow her only exception was Fitz. He never understood what she saw in him, but the two of them were quite close, without any remote interest on either part in a relationship, sexual or otherwise.

Fitz closed the door behind him and sat down in one of her visitor's seats. "We are merging with The Toy Box. It's already happened on paper. Barely anyone knows about it yet though. There is supposed to be an announcement in a week or so."

"Wait. What? The Toy Box is our biggest rival. Why would we merge with them?"

"Because both companies are struggling financially. This isn't the nineties where families used to buy toys in stores or bring their kids with them to a store to pick out whatever they wanted. The trend is online shopping and we aren't the only two companies out there. The competition is stiff. We are all suffering due to companies from other countries offering similar toys at much cheaper prices and low shipping fees. Both companies had to do something." She explained.

"So how does merging two struggling companies help at all? The online overseas toy companies are still there to take our business." Fitz stated.

Abby smiled at him. "With more resources, we will be able to concentrate more fully on our internet shoppers and put much more effort into bringing the their business back into the USA. A plan has already been written for that. And while I'm happy to share that news with you, that is not the reason why I brought you in here."

"Is it my charm?" He asked with a smile.

Abby gave him a serious face. "Definitely not. But remember that charm. You're gonna need it for what I've nominated you for."

"Oh shit." He griped. "I don't like the sound of that, Abby."

The fiery redhead grinned at him. "Before I tell you what the big news is, remember how you want to move up the ladder in the company. Let that be your focus."

He grimaced and made a hand gesture telling her to spill it.

"You are going to be traveling to several branches calming down the masses when news of this merger hits. You handle it correctly and impress the big wigs, and you're a shoo in for the promotion you've had your eyes on for the last two years." She was giving him pieces of information so he could process it.

Fitz thought about her declaration. He loved to travel. It didn't matter where or for how long. Fitz just liked being on the road. He had had his eye on the promotion of division manager for quite a while now and had been doing everything humanly possible to get noticed and be thought of for the next step in his career. He knew Abby well enough to know there was some bad news coming. He wondered what it was? "I can deal with traveling. What aren't you telling me?"

Abby grinned at him. He was a smart guy. It was probably why she liked him. She didn't have time for people who had to have everything spelled out for them or explained repeatedly. "You won't be traveling alone. There's a regional manager from their side who will be going with you. Her name is Olivia Pope and she works out of the New York branch. She hasn't been around as long as you have, but she's younger than you are. By ten years." She enjoyed watching his eyebrows go up in shock. "Yea. Exactly. She hasn't been told that she's going to be traveling the west coast yet. They are putting off telling her that tidbit for reasons unknown. I thought you'd appreciate a little more time to prepare for it. You're welcome, by the way."

"Wow." Fitz said. "Should I ask you how you know this?"

"Probably not." She replied with sass. "The thing is, she's up for the same promotion you are."

"What? At only thirty-two years old?! Is she a boring ass brainiac?"

"I guess you'll find out in a few weeks. You'll be on the road for at least a month; probably longer though. You need to do your research and find out what makes this woman tick. How did she get such high status in the company at such a young age, her family background, her favorite color, and anything else you can find out."

"That's a good idea. I'd like to know as much about her as I possibly can before we are thrown together as traveling companions for several weeks. Thanks for the heads up, Abby. I appreciate it. You're the only one who thought to tell me. Do you want to go to dinner with me as my way of saying thank you?" He asked sincerely.

"Eww. No." She made a disgusted face at him. "While I don't have any friends at work, I do consider you one. But that is the extent of our relationship. We will never do anything away from this place, out in public or anywhere else. Got it, Grant?"

"Relax, Abby. It was an invitation to dinner. Not a marriage proposal." He smiled at her and got up from the chair in her office. "Thanks for the head's up. I'll definitely look into her and see what I can discover about Olivia Pope. She's probably harmless, but I'd rather know all I can find out instead of being blindsided. If you can, please email the names of the branches we are going to be traveling to so I can prepare for that too. I'm glad to have the information before she does, but I have a feeling she isn't in her position at her age because she's cute."

Later that night, after Fitz had eaten dinner, he showered and put on his oldest pair of University of Chicago sweatpants and went into the office in his spacious ocean front house. He turned on his computer and began a search for Olivia Pope. When her picture came up he looked at her face for a few minutes, studying it. She was a beautiful young woman. Her basic stats claimed that she was five foot four inches tall, with brown eyes and black hair. And she was currently single. Fitz thought about that for a moment, and wondered if she had slept her way toward the top?

There wasn't a ton of information on her, but what he did find was interesting. She was the third of four children, and the only girl. Her parents, Rowan and Maya Pope, had died together in an automobile accident seven years ago while on vacation in Maine. She had gone to public school in New York and..."now that's interesting" he muttered to his computer monitor. She had attended the University of Chicago too. Different time, but she basically got the same education he did while in college. "Small world." He muttered as he took a pull from his beer and sat back in his leather chair.

Fitz learned that Olivia had graduated from the University of Chicago summa cum laude. He muttered a sarcastic but interested 'Hmmm' as he scrolled. She had played on the college lacrosse team and was captain of said team her senior year. The girl likes to play rough, he thought to himself. Olivia had led the Lady Pheonix team to win the Lacrosse Championships the same year. She obviously had leadership skills as well as a desire to win.

He went to The Toy Box website and clicked on a million different things before he found her once again. He read her professional background for the company and was surprised to learn that she started out as a cashier in high school and had worked her way up. Worked hard too, it seemed. He read about her move as store manager to the lowest earning one in the region. And how she had turned it all around and increased sales tremendously. He followed all of her accomplishments, as best he could, and ended up being impressed with her himself. Probably more impressed than he should be. But still. Judging from the information he had gleaned about Olivia Pope, Fitz thought she was probably a dangerous combination of intelligence, leadership, and drive. Perhaps she hadn't slept her way to where she was after all? He decided he had read enough about his future traveling companion and put her out of his mind. For the time being.

A new search was started for the first few branches that he and Olivia would soon be traveling to. He decided to delve into them two at a time in order to get the most information possible on them while not getting bogged down with more information than he needed on lots of locations. He read every report imaginable, one branch at a time and took notes on them by location. Fitz wanted to know what their weaknesses were as well as their strengths. Those would be important in the discussions with the branch managers and employees. As well as all of the other details that he had digested and written down.

He wondered how they would take the news of the merger? The lower level employees probably wouldn't care much as long as they got to keep their jobs. The managers of all levels with serious time invested in the company would probably freak out over retirement and the other typical things older people worried about. Fitz didn't blame them. In his conversation with Abby earlier, he forgot to ask her about his own retirement plan and what would happen to it. The more he thought about it, the more he figured she would have said something if there was something to worry about. He put it out of his mind as well.

When his notes were finalized, Fitz intended to close the browsers and see if he could catch a basketball game on television before going to bed. He shut them one by one until only one remained. It was the initial search he began on Olivia. Her face looked back at him with something that was not quite a smile, not quite a sneer. He wondered what she did in her personal time? What made her tick outside of work hours? What she did to relax? She looked pretty tightly wound in the corporate head shot. He wondered if he could learn these things while they were on the road? I guess I'll find out soon enough, he thought to himself before shutting the computer completely down and walking away. She didn't look very intimidating to Fitz.

At his recliner in the living room, Fitz turned the tv on ESPN and grabbed the pen and paper he always had sitting on the table beside it. As he sipped his beer, he made notes of the things he would need for the trip and the things he would need to do before he left.  
Hotel  
Rental car  
Pack my shit  
Basketball  
Take Roscoe to mom & dads

Upon writing his name, Fitz realized he hadn't seen Roscoe since he had gotten home. He wondered where he was at? He walked through the house to the back door that faced the ocean and looked at his floor. There wasn't any new sand on it. The idiot had to still be outside. Fitz called for him. A mix breed raggedy brown haired mutt came bounding over the dunes towards the door. He looked up at his master with his tail wagging happily before he walked in the house. "Where the hell have you been?"

The dog cocked his head to the side and sat on his rump as he looked at Fitz. His ears were perked and Fitz believed he understood every word he was saying. "You'd better leave that golden retriever alone. She's more female than you can handle, buddy." Fitz walked to the kitchen as Roscoe happily followed behind, and poured some kibble into the dog's dish. Fitz poured some fresh water into his other bowl as the apparently starved animal loudly chowed his food down. He was about to tangle with more female than he himself could handle too. He just didn't know it yet.


	2. Introductions

_The response to the first chapter was overwhelming! Thank you to everyone who read it and let me know what they thought. I know we have all read words of thanks from authors when we read their FF stories. They aren't just words - believe me. I feel tons of pressure for this chapter to live up to your amazing reviews. I hope I did it some form of justice? Thank you again!_

Introductions

Fitz's POV

Fitz got up early, as was his habit, and changed into a pair of running shorts to hit the beach for a run. He pulled some socks out of his dresser and yanked them on his large feet, followed by his shoes that had been sitting in a corner in his bedroom. He didn't even waste time with a shirt. The minute he was in the spacious living room, Roscoe was at his feet ready to join his master for frolicking in the sand.

"You ready to go?" The dog's tail happily wagged immediately and he followed Fitz to the refrigerator. He pulled out a bottle of water and took a pull from it and then put it back to finish when they returned. Fitz went to the back door and looked outside before sliding the glass to the side. It was another beautiful day at the beach and he wished that he could stay at home to enjoy the surf, but today was the day Olivia Pope would grace his office with her presence.

He wondered what she would be like in person? If she would be warm and helpful or bitchy and commanding? An internet search gives a vast amount of information on a person, but meeting them face to face was completely different. The impressive facts about someone didn't matter if they had no personality to speak of or couldn't hold an interesting conversation. As much as Fitz wanted to think that his female counterpart would happily work beside him in this new endeavor, he wasn't going to hold his breath. She was at the same level, professionally, as he was for a reason. He was sure some people had been stepped on along the way for it to happen. He wasn't going to be the next one with her heel print on his forehead as she went after his well earned promotion.

Fitz was brought back to reality when he heard Roscoe's tail thumping against the floor as he eagerly waited for the door to open. He looked down at the dog, who was staring back at him. "We are running - not stopping to sniff the ass of every other dog we come across on the beach. You'd better keep up!" Fitz opened the door and the two of them took off.

They jogged down the path that led to the beach, and once they hit the wet compact sand Fitz picked up his pace some. The mutt stayed at his heels, happy to be outside once again, until they came upon someone walking the beach at the early morning hour. Roscoe veered away from his master and went to see what the other human could offer him. Fitz rolled his eyes. Roscoe had never met a stranger and made sure that they felt welcomed to the beach by forcing himself and his upturned belly at them. Fitz jogged on alone knowing his dog was about to be treated like royalty with repetitious 'who's a good boy' and more attention than twelve dogs needed in a lifetime.

Immediately his thoughts went back to Olivia Pope and the task that neither one of them wanted to undertake with a stranger. He wondered if they would get along well? They were about to spend the next several weeks together without the benefit of knowing each other beforehand. They would also be moving from meeting to meeting, city to city, and hotel to hotel. Traveling and deadlines have a way of bringing out the worst in some people. He wondered if she was one of them? He knew he could be affected that way at times by those things.

Fitz had the upper hand in this situation in several ways. First and foremost, he had the home turf advantage. He couldn't imagine having to travel to New York and let someone there lead him around to branches while he felt a little lost, overwhelmed, and out of his element, not knowing anyone. Fitz would use that in his favor to keep her shut out of the conversation and made to feel inferior. It wouldn't be difficult since most people don't like new faces telling them how things are going to be at work. Especially when the new face is from another side of the country and from the rival company. The thought made him grin as his feet pounded the sand.

He also had gotten the news of the merger as well as the traveling information a few weeks before Olivia. He had had more time to prepare for their schedule and he had utilized that time very wisely by reaching out to some of the branches that would be visited to let the managers know he would be stopping by. Most regional managers enjoyed surprise visits to their stores as well as the shocked and panicked looks on their managers faces when they did so. Fitz did that too, but this visit seemed to call for some warning so that schedules could be re-arranged and everyone's voices could be heard and their questions answered. It was not a time to lord over his authority, but rather to smooth ruffled feathers and calm worried employees; something Fitz occasionally struggled with.

Sweat coated his body, and still Fitz pressed on. He just had another mile to go before he turned around to head back home and get ready for work. In spite of his straining muscles and the hot sun bearing down on him, being outside felt so good. He hated the thought of being cooped up in an office all day long in a suit with the weather outside as beautiful as this. He hated the thought of having to entertain the east coast stranger even more. This was going to be a shitty day no matter what and Fitz grimaced at the thought of it.

He supposed he should offer to take Olivia to dinner, as a way of welcoming her to California. Fucking hell. Then again, he supposed dinner would be one way to see what she was like away from work? It could be an interesting way to learn more about her. If he didn't offer he'd look like a jerk. If he did, his last free night before they left would be spent with the woman he was going to be traveling with. There was no way to win, and Fitz decided to play it by ear. Being the host was a job in itself.

Barking could be faintly heard and Fitz turned his head to see Roscoe bounding up behind him. When he reached his master and happily trotted beside him, Fitz huffed out, "You always run with me when I'm on my way back so you don't have to go the whole way. Damn cheater." Roscoe barked in response and they headed to the house side by side.

Fitz closed the sliding glass door once they were inside and locked it behind him with ragged breaths. He went to the fridge and pulled out the water bottle, chugging it down in a few gulps. He took a few deep breaths, poured some fresh water for the dog, and trudged to the shower to get ready for the day.

Once dressed immaculately in a beautiful navy suit, Fitz grabbed his keys and explained to Roscoe that he would be spending some time with Nana. His mother, bless her heart, considered Roscoe her grandchild and spoiled him as such. Something Fitz was not always happy about. But he didn't really have much of a choice this time and knew he'd come back to a fat lazy dog who laid on the floor instead of joining him for their morning run together. He scowled at the thought. He'd be taking the dog over to his parent's house after work later that night.

At work, Fitz happily greeted everyone he saw as he made his way to his office. His assistant, Keshia, went over his morning schedule with him, as if he hadn't already memorized it himself. He listened to her efficiently rattle off the details of his morning meeting, until she unnecessarily reminded him that Olivia Pope would be arriving at the office around noon. He abruptly said, "Thank you, Keshia. That will be all." She silently passed Fitz his phone messages and he walked into his office and shut the door behind him.

He sat at his desk, picked up his phone, and called Abby. "What do you want?" She asked in a bored tone.

"Are you ready to finalize things for this trip? Your office or mine?" He asked.

"You come up here." She said and hung up on him.

Fitz grinned and replaced the receiver. Abby was never one to mince words. He stepped out of his office and let Keshia know he was heading to his meeting with Abby. He got on the elevator with other suits and made his way up to her office.

Abby's office was decorated in black and white, because that's how she saw business. There was no room for gray areas when it came to decision making at work and she stuck by that. Fitz walked into her office as he'd done countless time before and sat down on the plush sofa, putting his arms behind his head, making himself completely comfortable. "I've contacted the first half of the branch managers Ms. Pope and I will be visiting. I will reach out to the others well in advance as we travel to make them aware of the upcoming meeting, so they have time to prepare their questions and concerns, as well as their employees."

"That's a really good beginning. What's the plan once you get there though?" Abby liked giving Fitz space to come up with his own ideas, and then the two of them would fine point them.

"I plan on having an open discussion with all of the employees at each branch so they can voice their issues. It will prevent confusion about roles and responsibilities if they are all together, and they can actually be heard that way too."

"Good idea. You just need to keep control of the meeting though. It can quickly turn in a screaming match or blame game otherwise. You're there to calm their fears and validate that they still have a place in the company if they want it. Anyone who doesn't, and has plenty of time invested in the company, we can discuss severance packages with. Show them the positives of this merger. Get them motivated and excited about the changes. But most of all, listen to them. Most of them won't be affected by the merger, but the more senior employees will have worries. They need to know that their boss actually gives a shit about them."

"I get that. I've got the branches most up to date numbers and plan to go over them with the managers after the open discussions."

"Go over those numbers with the managers before the group conversation. It will show them that you know where their store stands. It will keep them on their toes, and maybe on their best behavior knowing you have looked into their financials recently." Abby looked at Fitz and could sense he had other concerns. "What's bothering you?" When he just looked at her, unsure of how to ask his question, she had already lost her patience. "Spill it!" She demanded.

Fitz brought his hands out in front of him, palms up, and added, "Exactly what is Ms. Pope's role in this? I mean, I've read up on The Toy Box and have almost as much information on that company as she does. What can she bring to this particular table that I can't?"

"For starters, she is knowledgeable about the company we have merged with and can share with our employees how The Toy Box functions. She can tell us the things that they have done that were successful – promotions, how to make foot traffic better, how to boost sales, how to help a floundering store turn around their sales quotas. She has a vast amount of knowledge in all of those areas and she is a great resource if you'll use her." Fitz's eyebrows went up in genuine surprise. "What? You didn't think I would check into her myself? Please! I did that before I even suggested it to you. Always know who you're working with. Especially in situations like this." She said grinning at him.

"Words to live by." Fitz said humorlessly.

"It's important to remember that she has strengths where you're weak. I'm sure the opposite is true as well, I just don't know her well enough to speak on those things. The two of you will be a great team if you look at it that way. But it's also important to remember is that she's up for the same promotion you are. The suits upstairs are going to be watching this road trip very carefully to see who shines brighter. You're going to have to be at the top of your game to get the edge on her, and according to the information I found on Olivia Pope, you'd better be well prepared. She kicks ass at her job!"

"Great. So, no pressure at all?" Fitz said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He stood up and reminded Abby of their meeting with Olivia Pope at noon sharp in the conference room. He was anxious to meet her face to face and get a sense of what kind of person she was. As he rode the elevator back down he recalled words. Olivia was strong where he was weak. He was honest enough with himself to admit he did have weaknesses in business, but wondered if Olivia Pope would exploit those weaknesses or simply step in and take care of the situation using her strengths? He wanted to heed Abby's advice and work side by side with Olivia Pope, but human nature told him to be careful in her presence until he knew her better. The sentiment Abby shared weighed on Fitz's mind. Let his light shine brightly. He planned on blinding Olivia Pope with it.

Fitz sat through a meeting with his boss, Stephen Finch, about his trip and was told what was expected of him. He would need to be in touch with Stephen, letting him know how the open discussions had gone at each branch and the results of them. Who would stay and who wanted out? Another thing expected from him was to play nice with Olivia Pope. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, knowing full well how to be professional and courteous while on the job. After hours, he could be left to his own devises, but was strongly warned not to do anything that would bring embarrassment to the company. He felt like he was being lectured by his father.

An hour later he sat in the conference room, fifteen minutes early, waiting for Olivia Pope to arrive. Fitz tried to always be the first to arrive for meetings and hated being late. It was a habit of his since he was old enough to drive himself wherever he wanted to go. Abby joined him soon afterwards and after they shared a brief smile, she went to her phone to answer emails while Fitz drummed his fingers on the table impatiently. The door opened and in walked Olivia Pope.

Olivia's POV

Getting up before the crack of dawn was nothing unusual for Olivia. She hated doing her morning workout on the treadmill, but forced herself to anyways. It was far better than running outside where there were bugs and heat; and people seeing you all sweaty. She never understood why people wanted to run outside when they could be in the comfort of their own homes with air conditioning blowing on them at all times? Different strokes she thought.

She ran for six miles working up a sweat as she mentally went over the list of items she knew she had already accomplished for her trip. It kept her mind occupied from counting the steps her feet were making as she ran. Olivia was not looking forward to this trip out west, but she was determined to shine in this role for the company she had worked so hard for so long for. That promotion was hers.

After about an hour on the treadmill, she breathlessly turned it off and hopped in the shower. Washing all the sweat from her body and the dread of her upcoming trip from her mind, Olivia focused on getting dressed and being ready by the time the taxi picked her up to take her to the airport. She had laid her clothes out the night before, but now was second guessing it. Did the black pant suit say determination and authority? Or did it say help me, I'm on my way to a funeral and got lost? She sighed heavily and looked through her closet for something else to wear. Something with some damn color. It was California after all.

Finally choosing an orange sleeveless sheath dress, she pulled it over her head and smoothed it down. Looking in the full-length mirror in her bedroom, she realized that she looked good in this dress and wondered why she didn't wear it more often? She put on her make-up and jewelry, and finally slipped her feet into her black heels. She looked at herself once more before walking out the door. Here I come you California bitches, she thought to herself with a smirk. Olivia grabbed the handle of her suitcase and walked outside, locking the door behind her. Her cab was sitting at the curb and as the driver put her case in the trunk, she climbed in.

The flight to California was fairly uneventful, apart from the older woman who sat beside her and insisted on striking up a conversation with her. Olivia politely answered a few of her questions and listened to the woman tell her that she was traveling to California to see her son and his new baby. Then of course she wanted to show Olivia photos of the infant. After twenty minutes of chit chat, Olivia offered her a 50% off coupon that could be used at The Toy Box and suggested she use it to buy her new grandson something. The older woman thanked Olivia profusely and silently looked at the website to try to find the perfect gift. Olivia felt good about giving the new grandmother the coupon and was happy to see her using the website. Sometimes the opportunity to make connections with people literally fell in your lap. Olivia peered over at the older woman's tablet from the corner of her eye and noticed that she already had more than one item in her online buggy and smiled to herself.

Olivia spent her newfound quiet time going back over the numbers of the first branch they would visit when she and Fitzgerald Grant hit the road. She brought up images of the store as well to see what their displays looked like and to get a better general idea of the layout. She made notes of a few changes that could be made to improve foot traffic and all-around interest. She planned on bringing those items to the attention of the store manager, as well as have a chat with the lower level employees after they arrived at the store. Olivia planned to talk to everyone, from the part time cashier that worked after school to the store manager, and everyone in between. She closed her laptop as the plane prepared to descend.

Stepping out of the plane was like stepping into a new world for Olivia. The heat was terrible. A dry heat that felt like all the humidity had been sucked from the air. Everyone was so tan and good looking, it made Olivia feel slightly self-conscious. She made her way to baggage claim and waited for the turn style to start up and begin spewing out luggage of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Hers was a typical medium sized black suitcase but it had her initials monogrammed on the side of it to help her find it faster. She whispered a silent thank you to her sister in law for the sweet and sensible gift last Christmas, grabbed the handle and briskly strode toward the car rental to collect the keys to her new ride.

Once inside her rental car, Olivia entered the address to the hotel that Lori had booked for her. Once the route was displayed and the first command given as to which direction to go, Olivia noticed that the hotel was sixteen minutes away. She glanced at her watch and read the time. 11:13. Luckily, Toy Land was only a few blocks away from the hotel so she should have enough time to get to the company and not be late for the meeting with Fitzgerald Grant and his bosses. Olivia despised being late to anything and work was no exception. She only hoped traffic understood her time line and was going to have mercy on her.

Pulling away from the airport and listening intently to the instructions of the robotic sounding female voice, Olivia was laser focused on getting to the hotel. The beautiful sights and sounds of the city were lost on Olivia as she drove with a purpose. To get this initial meeting with Fitzgerald Grant over with and get to work. She briefly wondered if she should have done a check on him before leaving home and then quickly dismissed the thought completely, reminding herself that he wasn't the job. He wasn't even a concern to Olivia and would stay that way in her mind until her part of this little adventure was complete.

Olivia could see the sign for the lush hotel, thank you very much Lori, up ahead and got over into the left lane to prepare to turn. A horn blared, jarring her, and instinct had her throwing up her middle finger at the driver. Remembering she wasn't in New York anymore, Olivia looked into her rearview mirror and saw that she got one back. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled in spite of the situation. This was normal on her side of the world and the gesture put her a little more at ease.

She turned into the hotel and parked the car near the front door. Olivia went inside and gave her information as well as credit card and ID and received the key card to her room. She went outside and parked her car in one of the many available spaces, grabbed her bags, locked the car, and made her way inside to the elevators. Her room was on the second floor and not a far walk from the elevators. After opening the door, she put her bags on the queen-sized bed and went into the bathroom to freshen up before heading to the office. You only get one chance to make a first impression. And she intended to kill it.

Glancing at her watch as she rode the elevator down to the ground floor, Olivia decided she didn't have time for lunch and that the pretzels she had been given on her flight would have to hold her until she did. Her stomach rumbled in protest but Olivia ignored it. Business always came first. When she got in her rental Olivia put the address of Toy Land in the cars GPS system. According to the directions, she would arrive there in eight minutes. She only had twenty until the meeting started. Not wasting any more time, she stepped on the gas and sped off.

Toy Land headquarters was a looming building in the skyline and easy to spot. When the GPS told her she had arrived at her destination, Olivia drove into the parking deck and got into yet another elevator. She was alone until it stopped at the thirteenth floor and a man in a black pin stripped suit stepped in with her. He pushed the number twenty-seven on the wall panel and Olivia immediately wondered what happened on that floor.

When the elevator stopped on the eighteenth floor, Olivia wordlessly stepped out and made her way to the large desk to the right. The woman manning the desk was on the phone but she made eye contact with Olivia and smiled at her. "Yes' ma'am. I will make sure he knows that you will be coming by later this afternoon. You too. Okay, bye." She eyed Olivia, while keeping the smile plastered on her face. "Hello. Can I help you?"

"I hope so. I have a meeting at noon with Stephen Finch, Abby Wheelan, and..." She pretended to flounder. "Fitzgerald Grant." Olivia purposefully put his name at the end.

"You must be Olivia Pope?"

"Someone has to be." Olivia said smiling.

"You are meeting in the conference room. I'll show you the way." She offered.

"That would be great. Thank you." Olivia said politely.

She followed behind the young professional as they went down a corridor, around turns until they came to a large open area. Olivia glanced in any open doors as they went to see what kind of bustling activity was going on. Nothing out of the ordinary here. She glanced at her watch once more. 11:56. Perfect. The young professional gestured to Olivia which door was the one to the conference room. She took a few deep breaths and walked inside.

Three people stood up immediately. One woman and two men. The woman had beautiful red hair, was rail thin, and had flawless pale skin. She was a real beauty. But she was looking at her phone. Kinda rude, but whatever, Olivia thought.

One of the men was sitting back in his chair, with his hands behind his head, looking deep in thought. He had dark brown hair and a very small scar above his eye. Probably from having chicken pox as a kid, she thought. The other man was sitting at attention, but drumming his fingers on the table. He had sandy brown curly hair and the bluest eyes Olivia had ever seen. Both men were handsome in their own way, but the one with the curls was devastatingly so. Not that it mattered, she told herself.

Before Olivia could say anything, the redhead stood up and loudly exclaimed, "Is that the new Hermes Birkin bag that can't be found anywhere right now?" Both men looked confused beyond comprehension.

Olivia looked at the redhead for a moment and smiled. "Actually, it is."

"How in the hell did you get it?" Abby accused.

Olivia smiled at the redhead. "One of my customers gave it to me as a thank you."

"Bullshit!" Abby spat out.

"Abby!" The dark haired man chided. He, as well as the man with the distracting curls were both standing at attention now, and were watching the rapidly paced ping pong conversation between the two women with great interest.

"I'm serious. I helped her track down the very last Boppin' Bongo in stock for her granddaughter and this is how she generously rewarded me. Wouldn't take no for an answer." Olivia said matter of factly. At Abby's shocked expression, Olivia added, "I tried telling her that it was way too much. She insisted and called it an early birthday gift."

"Wow. That's impressive." Abby waited a beat and asked, "What the hell is a Boppin' Bongo?"

Olivia chuckled. "It's a toy you bounce on. My customer had one when she was a girl and wanted her granddaughter to have one as well. She looked online for one from all the usual websites, but had no luck. She was beyond thrilled when I found the last one sitting in a warehouse in Denver."

"And you got that amazing bag as a thank you? What a great story! If this particular customer ever needs anything you can't find, let me know." Abby grinned at her and stuck out a hand. "Abby Wheelan."

"Olivia Pope." She said, shaking the redhead's hand and returning the grin. "It's nice to meet a fellow bag connoisseur. And I'll keep that offer in mind."

Turning to the ridiculously handsome man sitting ramrod straight, Olivia stuck out her hand and introduced herself. "Olivia Pope. You must be Stephen Finch."

Abby chuckled and covered it with a cough, but didn't bother to hide her knowing grin.

The dark haired man stepped around the table and made his way to their lovely guest, sticking out his hand. "Actually, I'm Stephen Finch." The two of them politely shook hands, all smiles.

Inside Olivia was kind of shaken. If he was Stephen Finch, that meant that the other man must be Fitzgerald Grant! The Fitzgerald Grant that she would be traveling with for the next month or so. Shit! She inwardly chided herself for not Googling him to at least see what he looked like. He wasn't balding and there wasn't an ounce of fat on his tall lean frame. No one should be that handsome! He was too good looking, even by California's very high standards. She silently hoped for the wife and three kids.

"I'm so sorry for my assumption! It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Finch." Olivia could feel the other man's eyes on her, but she avoided his gaze purposefully, giving Mr. Finch all of her attention.

"Please. Call me Stephen. Everyone around here does." She was a beauty. Stephen wondered if she was single?

Olivia kept the plastered smile on her face. "Thank you, Stephen. I hope that despite my introductory blunder, this will be a wonderful working relationship."

That was not the only relationship Stephen was hoping for, but at the moment, he'd take it. "Absolutely. And please, don't give it another thought."

Turning to the other man, Olivia smiled politely and said, "I don't have a very good track record today, but I'm assuming that makes you Fitzgerald Grant?"

"You would be correct." Fitz stated without emotion. This is the woman who he had been worried about? She was about as bothersome as a fly. Great track record, but easy to lose along the way too. He offered his right hand and they shook. "It's nice to meet you."

The moment Olivia's hand touched his, something changed. She felt...something. A spark? Electricity? She couldn't put her finger on it, but it was definitely there. She studied his face as their hands moved up and down. Either he had the best poker face she had ever encountered, or he simply didn't feel it? She wondered which one it was?

"Fitz is our best guy. He should be. I taught him everything he knows." Stephen chuckled alone as Olivia and Fitz continued shaking hands and silently sizing each other up. "If you need anything at all while you're in our fair city, please let me know. I'd be happy to make your stay as comfortable as possible."

"It's nice to finally put a face with a name, Mr. Grant. I'm looking forward to working with you on this project." She told Fitz, ignoring Stephen for the moment. "I hope to learn as much from you as I can over the next several weeks. It's a huge undertaking that will require a lot of man hours, but we wouldn't be where we are professionally if we shied away from time consuming projects such as this."

Fitz dropped her hand and gave her a small smile. "That's very true, Ms. Pope. I'm sure we will learn quite a bit from each other by the time we are done with this task."

Turning to Stephen, Olivia felt the need to nip the flirting in the bud. "Thank you for the offer, Mr. Finch. I stopped by the hotel to drop my things off before I came here. I think I'll be okay, as long as I can get a decent bottle of red wine."

"We could have been best friends in another life. Amazing purses, red wine, and a work-a-holic. I can see it in my mind's eye." Abby said with an unapologetic smile.

Olivia returned the smile. "Maybe when this endeavor is over you and I can get together for dinner one night? It would be nice to have a girl's night out after all is said and done?"

"You don't have to ask me twice." Abby said sarcastically.

"Great. We'll get in touch with each other towards the end of the trip." Walking toward an available chair at the conference table, Olivia set her purse down on it and said, "Now. Shall we get to work?"


	3. Getting To Know You

_Thank you to everyone who has read this story & left a review. The response has been amazing. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story._

Getting To Know You

Olivia's POV

It had been a long afternoon at the office. For the first time in her life, Olivia left at five o'clock. She didn't want to, but it seemed like everyone else at the Toy Land headquarters was leaving. Since she didn't know anyone, or have a picture ID badge or clearance to be there after hours, she left. She got on the elevator that led to the parking deck with Abby and they chatted about any and everything. The two of them had a lot in common but enough differences to keep it interesting.

"Which level are you parked on?" Abby asked.

Olivia pulled out the small white ticket she had received before entering the parking deck. Long ago she had made a habit of writing her level letter on the back of the ticket so as not to get lost. She flipped the small piece of paper over. "Level E" she stated and then looked around. "Which one are we on right now?"

"This is B. I imagine it stands for boss and it's the only level I park on." The redhead said grinning. "Come on. I'll give you a ride up to your car."

Olivia followed Abby to a shiny red car and arched one eyebrow in appreciation. "Of course you drive a red convertible." She joked. Olivia ran her hand up the front panel towards the passenger seat. "This is a great car."

"Thanks." Abby unlocked the doors and they sat down inside. "It spoke to me when I was car shopping. I had to get it."

"Purses and shoes speak to me all the time. I can completely relate to that." She looked around inside and added, "The interior is gorgeous. You have excellent taste."

"I know. Now which one of these fugly cars is yours for the foreseeable future?" Abby asked once they reached the E level. "Not the lime green pinto I hope?"

Olivia laughed at the redhead. "No, but it's not a lot better I'm afraid. I got the tan Camry. At least it has good gas mileage."

"There are much more important things in life than gas mileage, Olivia."

"Such as?"

"Such as men. Do you have a boyfriend...or girlfriend back home?" Abby brazenly inquired.

"Neither. I don't have time for a boyfriend. I'm married to my job." Olivia gathered her things and opened the passenger door.

"Fitz says the same thing. The two of you are a lot alike." The redhead commented. "Okay, get out. I don't want anyone seeing me anywhere near that car." A short laugh followed her comment.

"I'm glad you told me that. It should make this trip go a little smoother since both of us will be giving our full attention to the work. Thank you for the ride. It was really nice to meet you, Abby. I'll be in touch." Olivia stepped out of the car and closed the door.

"Have a good trip with Fitz. He can be a handful, so if you need anything shoot me an email." Abby drove off and left Olivia wondering what kind of handful Fitzgerald Grant could be? She shook the thought off and walked to her car. She unlocked the door and got inside.

After starting it, a light flashed on the dash telling her that she had a tire with low air. Olivia looked at the dash with a questioning look and then got out and walked around the car. Low air was an understatement. The passenger front tire was completely flat. She looked up quickly to see if she could see Abby's car, but she was long gone.

Olivia realized she had no contact information on anyone she had met today. What the hell was she supposed to do now? She clenched her fists and looked up, letting out a frustrated sigh in the process. She retrieved her purse from inside the car, locked the door, and started making the same route toward the building that she had made at lunchtime. She hoped someone would still be inside.

She was patiently waiting for the elevator to make its way to her level. When the doors opened, Fitzgerald Grant looked up from his phone and almost walked into her. "Oh. Sorry about that. Are you going back to put a few more hours in?" He gave no indication that he was joking and it annoyed her.

"No. My rental car has a flat tire and I need to get it towed or replaced or whatever." She was irritated that he was still here.

"Why didn't you use your cell phone for that?" He asked.

She gave him a small smile. "I don't know which tow services are nearby. I was hoping to ask someone...you know what? Don't worry about it. I'm sure someone is still in the building who can help me." She stepped inside the elevator as he stepped out and turned to look at her.

"Stephen is still up there. I'm sure he would love to help you out. Have a good evening, Ms. Pope." He smirked to himself and turned to walk to his car.

Olivia put her hand between the doors before they closed. There was no way in hell she was going to let Stephen flirty Finch get the wrong idea. "Wait. Do you happen to know of any tow services in this area?" She timidly asked. She saw his shoulders immediately sag. He probably hated himself for speaking up, but she wasn't going to let him out of it now. She stepped out of the elevator and took the few steps to him.

He sighed and turned around. "Actually, I do. One of my best friends owns his own repair service and he has a tow truck." Fitz pulled his phone from his suit pants, unlocked it, scrolled through his contacts, and made a call. He took a step away from Olivia and said, "Hey asshole! How's it going? Yea. Same. Look, I need a favor. A woman at the office has a flat on her rental car. Can you come tow it or fix it? Can you do anything that resembles help at all?" Fitz chuckled and looked at Olivia. "No man. Can you get your ass over here and help her out? That would be a huge no! If that's the best you can do then fine. I paid your mom last night." He chuckled and ended the call. "He can't get here for another hour."

"Yea, I gathered as much." She said with a smile. "How did you pay his mother?"

"Guy humor." Fitz admitted with a smile of his own. "Are you hungry?"

Her stomach growled loudly in response and Olivia was mortified. "It would appear so. Why?"

"Let me take you to dinner while we wait for Mark to come replace your tire. It's your first night here and no one should be cooped up in a hotel room eating room service. I can take you to pick up your car after we eat."

"No, thank you. I'll just wait here until your friend shows up."

"Okay. If you get bored, Stephen is upstairs. I'm sure he'll keep you entertained."

Olivia quickly thought about her options. Go with Fitz to eat dinner, wait in a parking deck, or go upstairs with a man who obviously had a thing for her. "Dinner would be nice." She finally said. She was starving anyways. Why the hell not?

They got into his car and drove to a restaurant on the beach. It wasn't anything fancy, but the weather was perfect and the breeze blowing off the ocean was a welcomed change from the hustle and bustle of New York. They sat down at a table outside and ordered drinks.

"Thank you for calling your friend to take care of my tire." Olivia said, taking a sip of her wine. "You didn't have to do that, but I appreciate it."

"Would you rather I left you alone in the parking deck or walked you back into the building to wait with Stephen?" Fitz lifted his beer bottle to his lips and waited for her answer.

"No!" She replied a little too quickly. Fitz chuckled at her and took a pull from his drink. "What I mean is..."

"I think I know what you meant." He interrupted. "Stephen comes on a little strong sometimes. But he's harmless. And if it makes you feel any better, I've never seen him act like that towards anyone at the office before."

"Like that, meaning the flirting?" Olivia studied Fitz as he drank. His lips puckered and she instantly wondered what those lips would feel like on her own? His adams apple bobbed when he swallowed and she found herself glancing over his shoulder at anything at all in an effort to not stare at him. She shook the intense thought away, concentrated on his answer, and blamed it on the California air.

"Yes. Whenever he does something that's out of character, I blame it on his British upbringing." Fitz said with a chuckle. "It's rare, but it happens now and again."

"The two of you seem to get along fairly well from what' I've seen." Olivia remarked.

"He's my boss, so he does everything he can to help me be successful. But being my boss also means he can be a pain in the ass sometimes too."

"But you are a boss as well." Olivia took another sip of her blood red wine and savored the taste before continuing. "Does that mean you're a pain in the ass sometimes to the people under you?"

"Absolutely. In fact, I'm sure you will hear stories, from more than one person, over the next several weeks that will paint me as a villain. I hope you will reserve judgement on me until after you've gotten to know me better yourself?"

The waiter appeared, took their orders, and then left them to their conversation.

"Of course." Olivia crinkled her nose at him and added, "I'm looking forward to the stories though." Fitz laughed heartily at her comment and an uncomfortable silence took over the table.

Not really wanting to talk about work anymore, Olivia tried to think of anything else to talk about. It was difficult since she had zero information about him. She chided herself once again on not doing a background check on him before arriving. "What do you like to do for fun when you're not at work?" That question caught him by surprise and Olivia silently congratulated herself for it. She wondered if he was the kind of guy who only talked shop with other people?

"Anything athletic as long as it's outside." He said as his eyes moved toward the ocean in an almost trance-like state.

Olivia followed his gaze, thinking he had seen someone he knew. He was staring longingly at...the water? "Really?" Fitz nodded, still not giving her his undivided attention. "What are we talking about? Baseball? Football? Soccer? Basketball? Surfing too I gather?"

Finally, his beautiful blue eyes came back to her questioning brown ones and he nodded. "All of the above. There's nothing like being active outside. It's where I feel most like myself."

"I never would have pegged you for an outdoor guy." Olivia tried not to imagine him riding the waves on a surfboard, but the mental pictures were interesting. It was hard to tell what Fitz would look like shirtless when he was sitting in a suit with a loosened tie, and she wondered if the occasion would present itself while they were away? Inspired, she asked "Are you a runner?"

"Definitely. I jog along the beach almost every morning with my dog. What about you?" He asked.

"You're that guy?" Fitz took the last guzzle from his bottle, set it down on the table and leaned toward her on his forearms.

"What guy?"

"The only guy on the beach at five a.m. who is jogging like an insane person." The waiter brought their food and set it in front of them. A few minutes later, he brought Fitz a glass of ice water.

He smiled at her. "Guilty. It's the best way to start my day. I love to be outside and I get my exercise done at the same time. How about you? Do you run?"

Olivia smiled proudly at him. "I do."

"Where does one run safely in New York?" He asked with sarcasm.

"On one's treadmill in her home." Olivia said with equal sarcasm.

"You're that girl?" He exclaimed.

"What girl?" Olivia asked defensively.

"The one who runs purely for the exercise of it and doesn't get any joy from it at all."

"I love to run. And I get joy from it in my own way. At least I'm not sweating in front of strangers."

"You couldn't possibly get joy from it. How can you? You're like a hamster on one of those wheel things. It moves, but you aren't going anywhere. Running in the morning as the sun is rising and the waves are crashing is so much more satisfying than being cooped up in the house where the scenery doesn't change. Besides, who cares what strangers think?" Fitz asked before taking a bite of his dinner.

"I guess I choose safety over scenery." Olivia pointed her fork at her plate and said, "This is really good."

The two of them ate mostly in silence and enjoyed their meal. When the bill was silently dropped on the table between them, they both went to pick it up. Their hands grazed each other and Olivia felt that spark again. She looked up at Fitz and even though he wasn't looking at her, the expression he held told her that he felt it too. Disregarding it, she said, "I've got the bill."

"That's not how men around here do things, Ms. Pope. I'm not trying to be sexist in any way, but that's not my style. I have enough of my old fashioned raising in me that if I don't pay this bill my mother would somehow find out and beat me with her shoe like I was ten years old all over again." He gave Olivia a look of apology.

"Well, we can't have that. Shoes are much too precious to be hitting large men with them!" Olivia chuckled and drained her glass before standing up and hooking her bag on her arm.

Fitz paid the bill while Olivia stood nearby. When his phone chimed he pulled it out of his pocket, looked at the face of it, and grimaced. Olivia noticed and wanted to ask him about it, but figured it was none of her business. They took their time walking back to his car and he pointed out several things that were noteworthy to show Olivia. When they finally reached his car, and were settled inside Fitz said, "Mark got called in for an accident. He's running later than expected. I'm sorry about that."

"It's not your fault. It happens. You can take me back to my car and I'll wait for him there." Olivia said. "Thank you for dinner by the way. It was amazing."

"You don't run outside because it's dangerous, but you can wait in a parking deck at dusk by yourself in a strange town with no problem?" He shot her a look.

"Okay. Good point. What do you suggest?"

"How would you feel about going with me to drop my dog off at my parent's house? They don't live far away at all and maybe by the time we are done, Mark will be at your car? I know it's completely random, but I have to do it tonight anyways." Fitz explained.

He was rambling and even though her outside professional showed nothing, her inner female thought it was adorable. "That's fine with me. Kills two birds."

"Thanks. I'm sorry to spring it on you. I'll make it really quick and you won't have to sit in the car very long while I warn my mother about spoiling my dog."

"I'm not sitting in the car." Olivia stated.

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"I'm going in to explain to your mother how it's not worth it to hit you with her shoes because they will think she doesn't love them." She pulled her seatbelt from behind her right shoulder and proceeded to buckle it by her left hip while Fitz stared at her silently.

Fitz POV

The minute he almost trampled over her when exiting the elevator Fitz knew the evening was going to be different than he had planned. She needed help, but was reluctant to ask for it. Fitz made a mental note of that and wondered if it was one of her weaknesses? And then he called Mark.

"Hey, asshole. How's it going?" Fitz asked.

"Hey, dick breath. I'm just having a jolly good day." Mark replied.

"Yea, same. Look I need a favor. A woman at the office has a flat on her rental car. Can you come tow it or fix it?" Fitz asked.

"I'm kinda busy doing real work. Changing a flat tire is something you should be able to do yourself. It's basic man 101." Mark said grinning.

Fitz knew the shit from his friend would come. Mark thought he was more of a man because he did physical labor than mental. "Can you do anything that resembles help at all?"

"Is it Abby? I would be there in no time if it's for Abby. That chick is so hot."

"No man." Fitz chuckled.

"It's that new girl, right? The one going after your job?" Mark wanted to meet her. He might make this a priority after all.

"Can you get your ass over here and help her out?"

"Is she sexy? Would she be into me?"

"That would be a huge no!" Fitz was grinning at his idiotic friend and thankful that Olivia couldn't hear their conversation.

"I'll be by there as soon as I get done changing the oil of the car I'm working on. And I'm only coming by because it's you. It'll be about an hour." he said unapologetically.

"If that's the best you can do then fine." Fitz waited for it.

"If you're gonna be an uppity bastard then I'll charge little miss sunshine extra." Mark threatened.

"I paid your mom last night." Fitz chuckled.

"Shut the hell up about my..." Mark never got to finish his sentence because Fitz ended the call.

After explaining the situation to Olivia, Fitz suggested dinner as a way to kill time and get to know her better. He had no particular destination in mind but he wanted something casual. And near the water.

She was a good conversationalist, but seemed to get distracted at times. Fitz figured she was taking in her surroundings and chalked it up to her being in a new place. He had to admit that they had several things in common which could make their trip together a little less awkward.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" He asked.

"Sure. I suppose." She replied guardedly.

"Do you have a significant other back home?" At her surprised face, Fitz quickly added, "This merger is going to be covered by the press. For our part, Toy Land has already set up local press at a few of the stops along our trip to show how well our two companies are working hand in hand to ease the transition for our employees. I'm asking because I want to know if a jealous boyfriend or husband is going to want to know why you are pictured in the paper and on the internet beside me."

Olivia looked at him from across the table. "No boyfriend or husband. What about you?"

"There's no one." He said comfortably. "I've always felt that I was married to the job, and for the most part that's true."

"Abby mentioned that about you. Oddly enough, I feel the same way." Olivia admitted. "It's probably the main reason I have achieved all that I have in the company at such a young age." She took a sip of her wine and boldly spoke the words out loud that she never had before. "Some people in the company assume I have slept my way to where I am professionally. It's sad that it's even a thought that a woman can't be good enough to work her way to the top, but had to use her body and be given her place in business rather than earn it herself. Don't you agree? I mean, one of your bosses is a woman. Did you ever, even once, think that Abby had slept her way to the top?"

Fitz took a long drink of his water, to give himself time to think. He was ashamed that the thought had passed through his mind about the woman sitting across from him, but thankful that he hadn't voiced the thought to anyone else. "No. I've never thought that about Abby. Not even once. She is a driven powerful woman who has a great mind for business. She's where she is because she earned it. And while I don't know you very well yet, it's probably why you are at the level you're at professionally too. And I wasn't just being polite earlier when I said I think we will learn a lot from each other. I'm looking forward to it."

"That's very refreshing to hear from a man. I appreciate you saying all that. I'm so glad that at the very least, we can start this trip out as casual acquaintances instead of complete strangers. It makes things so much less stressful and awkward. Don't you think?" She asked.

"I couldn't agree more. I'm actually looking forward to this trip a little more now." He had no idea where the idea came from to take her to his parent's house, but once the words were out of his mouth there was no taking them back. Fitz blamed Mark for the sense of obligation he felt to keep her entertained. It wasn't terrible, he decided.

"I've got to go by my place to pick up my dog and then we'll take him to my parent's house where he will be treated like royalty." Fitz rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong with that?" Olivia asked from the passenger seat.

"Because he's going to get fat and lazy because my mother treats him like her grandchild and spoils him. It's ridiculous."

"I think that's kind of adorable. Have you ever left him for a long period of time before?"

"I have, but not as long as this trip will be. He might not even want to come back home with me once I get back." Fitz started making mental notes of which items of his dog's that he needed to take with them when she interrupted his thoughts.

"You should be thankful that you have somewhere to take him where he's treated so well. I'll bet your mom is looking forward to having him to keep her company." She smiled at him and asked, "Have you had him for very long?"

"I rescued him from the dog pound about two years ago. He'd been there for a few weeks and was due to be put down soon. No one was interested in him but the moment I saw him," Fitz shrugged. "he just felt like mine. He's a great dog. Loves people. Just this morning, he ditched me at the beginning of our run to go meet someone who was wandering the beach."

"If I had the option to choose between meeting new people and running, I would choose the people every time too." Olivia chuckled. Fitz decided not to remind her that she would have that option if she ran outside. Instead he kept quiet.

"Do you mind going with me to run this last errand? Maybe Mark will be done with your tire by then? I'll call him after we've dropped Roscoe off to make sure."

"I don't mind at all. It beats sitting in a parking deck alone. Thanks for letting me tag along." Olivia said with a smile.

They pulled in front of Fitz's house and he heard her audible sound of awe at his home. She stepped out of the car and stood there, taking it in. "This is beautiful. No wonder you like to be outside so much." Olivia walked around to the other side of the house and Fitz followed her.

She silently faced the ocean for a long time and Fitz wondered what she was thinking. Surely she had seen the ocean before? Eventually Olivia turned around to look at him, and for a moment Fitz held his breath at the view in front of him. The heels of her shoes dangled from her index and middle fingers. The wind was blowing her hair wildly in all directions and she was trying in vain to keep the untamed strands of her long black hair out of her face. She was stunning.

Olivia was smiling at him as he stared at her and said, "We don't have views like this where I'm from. It's absolutely breathtaking."

Fitz closed his mouth and nodded. The view was breathtaking, but it had nothing to do with the ocean. He cleared his throat and went to the back door, unlocked it, and went inside leaving Olivia on the beach. He needed to get away from her, even for just a moment or two. Once he was inside Fitz tried to remember why they were at his house to begin with? He looked around the kitchen until his eyes fell on the dog dish on the floor. Roscoe.

As he was gathering up the dog's food and bowls, Olivia came into the house and looked around. "Wow. It's so open in here. I love that you have your own view of the ocean too. It's a really great space."

Fitz smiled tightly at her. "Thank you. I've been here for about three years. We like it."

"Where is he?" Olivia asked.

"Who?"

Olivia chuckled at him. "Your dog."

"Oh. He's probably playing outside." Fitz set the food down and went to the back door, sliding open the glass. "Roscoe!" He called loudly.

"You let your dog roam around outside all day?" Olivia asked, walked closer to him to look out the glass.

"He's an outside guy too. Hates being cooped up in the house. Especially when the internet is down." Fitz joked.

"Did you just make a joke?" Olivia asked, faking shock. "I didn't think you had it in you?"

"I'm actually a very funny guy. You'll learn that, and probably a lot of other things about me you wish you hadn't over the next few weeks." Fitz said, giving her a genuine smile. She had a strand of hair that had haphazardly been blown in the wrong direction. The rest of her hair looked like it had been successfully smoothed down, except for this one. Fitz wanted to reach out and put it back into place. But he resisted.

"Is that him?" Olivia excitedly asked, her eyes still glued to the view in front of her.

Fitz glanced out the glass and saw Roscoe's tongue hanging out of his mouth as he bounded toward the house at warp speed. "That's him all right."

The dog came in the house and sniffed Olivia's feet for a second or two before plopping his furry behind down in front of her. "Don't act like you have manners just because we have company." Fitz chided.

The dog wagged his tail silently in response.

Olivia squatted down and politely said, "It's nice to meet you, Roscoe." He picked up one paw and held it towards her. Olivia looked up in shock at Fitz, who was rolling his eyes. "Who's a good boy?" She asked him, rubbing his fur.

"Roscoe, you are going to mom's house for a while." The dog's ears perked up and he cocked his head to the side. "Yea, you know exactly what I'm saying. Vacation time for you. Let's go get in the car." Roscoe barked once and headed to the front door to wait for his slow walking owner to open it.

The three of them arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Grant in no time at all. Roscoe dutifully followed his master to the front door while Olivia grabbed his empty bowls and lagged behind some. His mother opened the door and Roscoe practically jumped into her arms as she laughed and pet him. "How's my best boy?"

"I'm going to grab his food from the car. I'll be right..."

"I've got it. And his bowls." Olivia announced from behind the bag of dry dog food.

"Here. Let me get that. You shouldn't have picked that up. It weighs a ton." Fitz said, taking the bag from her.

"Who is this, Fitzgerald?" His mother asked with a smile.

"Hello, Mrs. Grant. I'm Olivia Pope. The new co-worker from New York. I'm so sorry for the intrusion."

Mrs. Grant smiled and said, "Nonsense. It's no intrusion at all." She held her right hand out to shake Olivia's. "I'm Marie. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Pope."

"Please. Call me Olivia. And it's nice to meet you as well. Your son was kind enough to help me earlier when my rental car had a flat tire. Just between you and me, I think he's babysitting me until his friend Mark can go by the office to fix the tire."

Marie smiled. She would get the full story from her son later. "I'm sure that's not true at all. Come inside so we can get Roscoe settled."

Roscoe ran into the house and jumped up on a gray recliner beside Fitz's father and laid his head in the man's lap. Roscoe was settled. Olivia and Fitz stepped into the living room and he introduced Olivia to his father. "Olivia, this is my father, William Grant. Dad, this is Olivia."

William started to get up but Olivia took the few steps to reach him and said, "Please don't get up. Roscoe looks awfully comfortable there."

"He won't be truly comfortable until he's sleeping at the foot of our bed later on. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Pope." He shook her hand and looked at his son. "This dog is going to be completely useless when you get back. You realize that, right son?"

Fitz sighed heavily while Olivia chuckled. "I've already prepared myself for that. As well as the possibility that he might not want to come home when I return. Traitor."

"He's definitely going back home with you. I don't care if we have to drag his fat spoiled self the entire way." William scratched the dog behind the ear and added, "He is good to have around though."

Fitz rubbed the now snoozing dog's head and told his parents, "Olivia is the person from The Toy Box that I will be traveling with on this trip. She had a flat tire when she went to leave the office earlier and I called Mark to come by and replace it but he was in the middle of something and couldn't get right to it. So we went to dinner and then brought Roscoe over here. I'm going to call him when we leave here to see if he's gotten to it yet and take Olivia back to her car."

"That's a terrible way to start out a trip. Make sure that you stay with her if he hasn't shown up yet." Marie stated. "And in case no one has taken the time to say it, welcome to California."

"That's very sweet. Thank you, Mrs. Grant." Olivia said. "It's not the way I pictured my trip starting out, but I'm hoping the rest of the trip will be problem free."

"I hope so too. It's such a long time on the road. But I'm so glad you came along with Fitz. It's nice to see him with such a beautiful female." Marie remarked with a smile.

"Okay. That wasn't embarrassing at all." Olivia chuckled as Fitz kissed his mother's cheek and warned her not to turn his dog into a sloth, but she refused to promise that. "We both have an early day tomorrow and Olivia needs to get back to her car, so we are going to go. Besides, I still need to pack."

"Fitzgerald! You should have already done that." She chided.

He hugged his mother and she whispered something in his ear that only he could hear. When he pulled away from her embrace, he gave her a smile but said nothing. The other two adults in the room pretended not to notice the mother-son exchange.

"It was so nice to meet you both." Olivia said waving.

Fitz wanted to put his hand on her back to lead her to the front door, that was only two feet away, but again refrained from doing so and stuck his hands in his pockets instead. "Bye, mom and dad. I'll be in touch."


	4. Meet and Greet

_Thank you for reading this story. Your encouraging reviews absolutely amaze me! Thank you so much._

Meet and Greet

Fitz's POV  
Early the next morning, Fitz went on his normal run on the beach with a thousand thoughts in his mind. Most of them pertained to Olivia Pope and their impromptu evening together the previous night. She seemed more like a person to him now than someone to feel threatened by. He knew she was an intelligent woman to be respected, both personally and professionally. But she was also funny, charming, and beautiful. Determined to keep things business-like, Fitz decided to keep his distance from her when they weren't working. It would be easier to keep her from clouding his mind and prevent Fitz from a potential sexual harassment suit. He could kiss the promotion, as well as the job he already had goodbye if anything was taken the wrong way and reported. It was just better to keep it professional with Olivia.

Today was going to be a busy one with traveling and meetings. They had to be on the road by nine a.m. to arrive at the closest of his stores by ten. It was only a short hour drive, which they would be making together by car. The next three stores were also not terribly far apart from each other and those stores would also be traveled to by car. After the initial four stops, Olivia would turn in her car at the rental company at the airport and they would fly the rest of the journey. Fitz was looking forward to being in a plane rather than the small confines of a car with her. He hoped the first four visits went quickly.

Once they arrived at the first stop later this morning, Fitz and Olivia would set up a type of meet and greet in the warehouse of the store. They had the car ride to discuss what they would buy before arriving as far as soft refreshments for all of the employees. Food makes things like this feel more like a function or fellowship instead of a mandatory work meeting. While the employees nibbled on snacks, Fitz would go over the most recent store numbers with the manager and discuss anything of importance about them together. That meeting would be brief, and as Abby suggested, would hopefully push him or her into being on their best behavior?

Fitz was well prepared for the one on one meetings with the managers. He was completely at ease when it came to dealing with them. He had the authority to tell them to get their shit together if it was needed. And he was proud enough of their accomplishments to let them know they were doing a good job too. He stayed on top of his branches numbers enough to know which ones needed to be told to rise to the appropriate level of acceptance and which ones had surpassed that level.

The actual meeting with all of the employees, with the exception of the few who would be working in the store, would then take place. This was not his strong suit. He could deal with keeping managers in line and making sure they were doing their jobs by keeping their stores performing well. But speaking in front of a large group was never where Fitz was comfortable. He knew what he wanted to say, but wasn't sure how to convey it to them. He had done it many times, but usually stumbled over his words and it always left him feeling inadequate. Later on, he would think of things he should have addressed but hadn't. He didn't want to look bad in front of his employees or Olivia and it's why he had written down his talking points before going to bed last night. He hoped it would help.

After showering, he debated on what to wear. If he went casual with jeans and a button up shirt, would people take him seriously? If he dressed in a suit, would he come across as a boring executive? Opting to meet the two extremes in the middle, Fitz chose a pair of fitted navy dress pants and a white button up dress shirt with no tie or jacket. He looked at himself in the mirror and was satisfied by the look. He went through his suitcase and made a few adjustments to make sure this look would be in his wardrobe for each stop. He slipped into his shoes and as he was tying them up Fitz realized he missed his four legged fur ball. Roscoe was probably still asleep at the foot of his parent's bed. Day one and Fitz already envied him for missing their run. Shaking it off, he gathered his things and took them to the living room to wait for Olivia to pick him up.

A horn sounded a few minutes later, and Fitz looked out the window to see the tan car parked near his own vehicle. Olivia grinned widely and waved happily, which he returned to a much less degree before grabbing the handle of his suitcase, stepping outside, and locking the door behind him. He took a deep breath and prayed for her to be the silent type on road trips. "Where do you want me to put my suitcase?" He asked.

"You can stick it in the trunk. It'll give more leg room to the hitchhikers I plan on picking up along the way." At his worried expressions, Olivia laughed loudly at him and said, "I'm kidding. They don't complain if there isn't much leg room." Fitz cut his eyes at her with a no nonsense expression and she made a face and popped the trunk. "Did you miss your run this morning?"

"What?" He asked from behind the car.

She waited until he was getting into the passenger seat before repeating her question. "Did you miss your run this morning?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Because you seem cranky." She said with a mocking smile.

"I am not cranky. I simply don't find humor in picking up strangers." He reached over his right shoulder for the seatbelt and pulled it down to his left hip, fastening it. He looked at her. "Thank you for picking me up, Miss Pope. Do you have the directions to our first destination?"

"Miss Pope?" She nodded her head once. "Okay. Yes, Mr. Grant, I have the directions. Let's be on our way."

"Great. We should be there in an hour. Until then I have a few things to go over. When I'm done, we need to figure out what we are going to buy for refreshments." He settled into his seat as she backed out of his driveway.

"Oh, I already bought some stuff." She replied happily.

Fitz sat straight up and looked over at her. "What do you mean, you've already bought some stuff? I thought we'd make those decisions before we got there?"

"It's snack food, Fitz. If you don't like what I got we can change it up for the second stop. It's no big deal."

Fitz shrugged. It was one less thing for them to have to do today. "Thank you for taking the initiative and thinking ahead." His curiosity got the better of him and he asked, "What did you get?"

"You are a control freak, aren't you?" She chuckled.

He couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm for mocking him. She was concentrating on the road and he snuck a glance at her to see what she was wearing. She had on a short sleeved white top that had different shades of blue in the print along with a pair of black dress pants. She looked professional...and cute. Fitz shook his head and averted his gaze from her. Keep it professional, he silently scolded himself. "I was just curious. I'm sure whatever you got is fine. Thank you again." He said quietly. That ended the conversation and Fitz went back to his notes, trying to memorize his talking points.

They drove in silence for a while and then Olivia reached down and turned the radio on. Looking over at him she asked, "Do you mind?"

"Not at all. I can't look at this sh...stuff anymore anyways."

She covered her mouth with the hand not on the steering wheel and her eyes grew wide. "Were you gonna say the word shit?"

Fitz chuckled at her. She was fucking adorable. Annnnnnnd that was not a professional thought either. "I was. But it's not professional. I'm sorry."

"You need to loosen up some. Look around. We are in a rental car on the interstate to go spread the happy news of a merger between our companies. This is a road trip, not the board room. You can say the word shit confidently and no one will care. I promise." She grinned as her head went from looking at the road to looking at him and then back again.

He set his notes down on his lap and couldn't help but grin at her. She certainly had a way with words. "Are you saying that I can swear and you won't tell on me?"

"Fuck no!" She said in a serious tone followed by an uncaring shrug of her shoulders. "I'm definitely telling."

Fitz roared with laughter and she joined him. They probably looked like lunatics driving down the road laughing together, but it felt so good to be this relaxed with another person he just couldn't stop. When he finally did stop laughing, Fitz grinned in her direction and said, "Thanks for that. It's been a while since I have laughed that hard. If today goes according to plan, I might become a diva and demand that you make me laugh that hard before every one of these."

"I can do that." She said simply. "Sometimes taking your mind off of what you are trying to force it to think about is the best thing to do."

He thought it over. "Huh. I've never thought of that. It could work. Or I could look like a total shmuck in front of my employees. I really don't prefer the latter happening, I must admit."

"I guess you'll never know until you try it." She said turning the radio up louder.

Fitz thought about her words some more as she started to sing along with the song playing on the radio. Her silky voice filled his head and he couldn't think about talking points if his life depended on it. Giving up and trying things her way, Fitz sat back and enjoyed the scenery as she sang. A curse word was coming up in the song, Fitz knew, and he waited to see what she would do. Anticipating something entertaining, Olivia sang the word, but covered her mouth with her hand as she did so. As he watched her, it made him laugh and Fitz realized that he liked laughing with her. She was good company and was doing her damndest to make this trek fun. So, he did something without over thinking it. He sang along with her.

Olivia's eyes went wide with real shock at hearing him sing. "What?" Fitz demanded. "I can sing too. Pretty decently, I might add."

"I never said you couldn't. I was just surprised that you did!" She replied. "I thought you were too uptight to sing along with the radio. When was the last time you did that?"

Not caring to answer that question, mostly because he couldn't recall, Fitz remained quiet. "The store is only about five minutes away." He went back to his notes to mentally prepare for the meeting, and Olivia quietly turned the radio off.

They arrived at the first store earlier than anticipated, and Olivia popped the trunk so they could unload the snacks and beverages. Once everything was out of the car Fitz asked Olivia to set the food up while he spoke with the manager about the numbers. She agreed without any fuss and the two of them parted ways.

At the meeting with his manager, Lee, Fitz let him know that his profit margin was slightly lower than it could be. He also encouraged him in the hard work he had done to bring his numbers up as high as he had since he had been transferred to the store just three months ago.

Lee voiced his worry and asked his boss, "What's with all the hoopla in the warehouse?"

"What do you mean?" Fitz asked.

"Well, you've never done this before. It strikes me as odd that you and some woman I've never met before, but who seems to have a fair amount of power, are at my store and setting up a mandatory meeting in my warehouse. What gives?"

Fitz sighed and decided it was better to break the news to Lee first instead of telling him with everyone else. "Our company has merged with The Toy Box. The woman you saw with me works for them in the same capacity that I do for Toy Land. We are here to break the news to the employees and answer any questions they may have."

Lee's face paled dramatically. "Am I going to lose my job? What about my employees?" He started pacing in the small area of his office. "When did this happen?"

"You're not going to lose your job, Lee. You are one of our top managers. It's why you were transferred here in the first place. This meeting is to calm the fears that everyone will have. Your retirement and 401k are completely safe. Nothing will change. The name of the company might, but I haven't heard anything about that yet. Relax. If you freak out and appear worried, then the others will follow suit. Now, let's go down and talk to the troops."

Fitz found Olivia not in the warehouse as expected, but on the floor talking to the employees who were currently on the clock. She was chatting with an older woman wearing a bright red polo and khaki pants. He watched them from far enough away that he couldn't hear what they were saying, but close enough to know they were having a fun conversation. They both chuckled at something the employee said and she showed Olivia a display of stuffed teddy bears. Olivia must have pointed out something interesting, because the employee cocked her head to the side for a moment, then rearranged the bears and stepped back and grinned, nodding at Olivia. He wondered what the hell that was about?

Olivia looked up and caught Fitz's gaze. She sent him a smile, shook the hand of the employee she was talking to, and made her way towards him while the store manager made his way to the warehouse. "Having fun?" He asked.

"Oh yea. Bear arranging is very serious business." She replied, keeping her eyes ahead. "That's Mary, by the way."

"Pardon me?" Fitz asked, halting his steps.

Olivia stopped walking as well and turned her head to face him. "That woman's name is Mary. She's been working in this store for over a year. She has three children and one grandchild. She works here because it keeps her up to date on all the newest toys and gadgets for her grandchild and because she enjoys it and thinks it's fun. I thought you might want to know that about her." Olivia turned on her heel and walked toward the back of the store.

Fitz wondered how she had gleaned that much information about a single employee in such a short amount of time? Olivia Pope was really good with the personal touch and apparently excelled at connecting with people. He would have to keep that in mind. Abby's words came back to his mind. 'She's a great resource, if you'll utilize her.'

Fitz decided he had thought this trip out all wrong. His plan was to command the entire thing from start to finish in order to appear worthier of the promotion. And while he would never give up his hopes or hard work for that promotion, Fitz realized he could actually partner up with Olivia and split the exhausting work in half. He could still show his leadership by delegating certain things to Olivia that showcased her strengths and covered up his weaknesses and it would show his willingness to work with her instead of against her. It was a win win. He wondered what she would think about addressing the employees at the next stop? He planned to talk to her about it once they were back in the car again.

Olivia's POV  
Olivia woke up later than planned, but she wasn't worried about it. She decided to forgo her run this morning and wasn't worried about that either. She thought about that for a moment. Maybe Fitz had been right? Maybe she did run purely for the exercise and got no joy from it? Right now, stretching like a lazy cat in her plush queen-sized hotel bed felt pretty joyful, so she put all thoughts of running out of her mind. She promised herself she'd run tomorrow morning. It was going to be a busy day filled with running around anyways. That made sense, right?

She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and scrolled through her emails. She answered some of the more important work related ones that required it. Why did people lose their minds when she left? When she was done, Olivia let out a groan of frustration and closed her email browser. She noticed that she had gotten a text from Harrison and Olivia opened it up to see what he had to say. Turned out to be a picture of Sophia crying. Olivia frowned and read the caption her brother had added. 'She's not happy that you aren't here'. She sent a quick sarcastic reply:

 _Be sweet to_ _that angel! Give her kisses from aunt Wib. Let's facetime later!_

Realizing she finally had to get out of the comfy bed, Olivia pulled back the thin blanket and swung her legs over the side of the bed. This was going to be a long day and it was time to get it started.

Looking through her clothes, she decided to keep with the California theme and pulled out a white silk shirt with royal blue scattered across it and a pair of black dress pants. It was comfortable enough to be active in yet still looked professional. She got dressed, did her face and put on her jewelry. She had to pick up Fitz at his house and the two of them would drive to his closest store. She wondered how today would go and knew whatever happened would probably set the pace for the rest of the trip.

When she pulled into his driveway, Olivia was once again in awe at his home. It truly was beautiful, both inside and out and she admired it from the driver's seat until she saw him peek out the curtain. She waved furiously with a grin and watched as he less than half heartedly waved back and then stepped outside. Well, this was going to be fun, she thought to herself.

At least Fitz's body offered her some great scenery. She glanced up from her phone to see him looking more than casual but less than stuffy. It was a good look on him, Olivia decided. He made brief eye contact with her as he pulled his suitcase behind him towards her trunk. She strained her neck some and was rewarded with a quick glimpse of chest hair where his top button was left undone. She hummed appreciatively. Olivia had a thing for hairy chests. She wondered if he jogged shirtless? Maybe she would invite herself to join him for a run outside sometime after all?

Fitz walked by the driver's seat and she got a great look at his damned near perfect ass in those tight navy pants from her side mirror. What she wouldn't give to bite it once. Okay, more than once. She gazed at it longingly, along with the rest of his fantastic body as he leaned over the side of the car to put his suitcase in the trunk. He walked around to the passenger seat and she sat up straight in her seat.

It turned out that Fitz was a fun guy. The thought was strange to Olivia because he seemed like he had a stick up his perfect ass most of the time. He had jokes, but didn't really have an appreciation for some of hers. Especially ones about hitchhikers. Did he really think she would stop and pick up a random stranger? Olivia found his reservation comical.

When he greeted her as Miss Pope, Olivia guessed the stick up his ass was nothing personal, maybe it was just the way he was? She decided she was going to remove it as soon as possible and get him to lighten up. She just had to get him to put his damned notes down long enough.

Inspiration hit when she glanced at the radio. The radio makes everyone loosen up, so she turned it on. Then started singing along with whatever song was playing. Worked like a charm. The stick slid out some. Hell, Fitz actually sang along with her! And Olivia realized that he had a great singing voice. A very soothing baritone that made her wonder what that voice would sound like making other noises? No, no, no, she chided herself. Back to loosening up the ass stick.

Discovering he had a fondness for swearing was a highly entertaining revelation for Olivia. She wondered if she had pushed the boundaries a little too far with her word choice? Fitz didn't seem to mind, in fact, he seemed to find it hilarious. He threw his head back and laughed deeply, showing all of his perfect white teeth. She wondered if this man had any flaws? His laugh was in fact, a truly magical sound that reverberated throughout the entire car. Olivia enjoyed listening to him be free to enjoy the moment. She wondered when the last time he had felt that way and what had caused it? She would definitely pull that one out again when the stick receded back into the darkness of his bowels and he turned into professional man again.

Once they arrived at the store, it was all business once again. After Olivia set up the snacks in the warehouse, she meandered throughout the store to just take it in. She wanted to know what was different and alike between their stores. She knew that no two stores were exactly the same, but the basic layout was more or less the same. She tried not to, but Olivia found herself making mental notes of things that could be changed to better this store. She also noted the things that were amazingly better than in her own stores. Some of the differences were vast, and some of them were minute. This merger would be an odd coupling, but Olivia believed it would also be a beneficial one in the long run too.

She turned down an isle and found one of the employees straightening shelves. A woman older than herself, probably in her fifties or sixties, was smiling happily as she did the task that anyone in retail hates the most. She seemed to find joy in it somehow. Olivia pretended to look at something on the shelf in front of her while keeping an eye on the woman. Just to observe her.

This woman seemed to enjoy her job. Olivia was interested in talking to her. So, she introduced herself. "Hello. My name is Olivia."

"Hi, Olivia. My name is Mary. Can I help you with something?" She smiled kindly.

Olivia knew that since she was working, Mary wouldn't be part of the group meeting in the warehouse. "Not really. I just noticed that you were happy about doing your job. I guess I just wondered why? It's not something you see very often these days."

"I guess I never really thought about it, but I just love my job. I don't make a lot of money, but life isn't always about the money. I've been here for a little over a year and love to be here. When you do something that you like you'll enjoy it more and it will seem like a job less and more like a fun place to be. Besides," Mary said as her smile grew bigger, "look around! I work at a toy store. Where else am I going to learn what my only grandchild will want for Christmas before she even knows what's popular?"

"One granddaughter? Wow. Congratulations! That's amazing." Olivia remarked.

"Well, one so far. I have three grown children, but only one has given me a grandbaby so far." She chuckled.

"I can relate." Oliva said as she nodded knowingly. "I have three brothers, and the only one who gets the most frequent visits from me is the one who has a baby." The two women chuckled together. "It's really refreshing to see someone who genuinely loves their job. Is there anything you've worked on by yourself recently?"

"Oh yes. Earlier this morning I set up an arrangement of adorable bears. Would you like to see it?"

"Please." Olivia said. Mary led her to a small space where dozens of bears formed a huge pyramid. "This is beautiful. You really take pride in your work. It shows."

"Thank you." Mary replied, smiling at her creation. A frown crossed her face and she said, almost to herself, "Something is not quite right with it though. I can't put my finger on it. What do you think, Olivia?"

Olivia looked at it from all sides before commenting. "Oh, I see what you mean. Hmmmm. Maybe there are too many of the ones wearing red overalls bunched up together? Is that it? Maybe we need to space them out a little more?"

Mary's face lit up. "I believe you're right!" The two of them worked together to rearrange the bears so that the display was more colorful. Mary took the initiative to move the bear pyramid slightly to the left. "I think this makes it easier for the little ones to see it better from the front of the store."

Olivia caught Fitz's watchful eye and hoped he wouldn't be mad that she wasn't in the warehouse? She figured she had better wrap this conversation with Mary up or the stick in his ass would end up making him unbearable to be around. "I see what you mean. Very clever, Mary. It was very nice meeting you today. I must say, it was an absolute pleasure. Thank you for talking with me. I won't keep you from your fun any longer and I hope this company knows what an asset it has in you?" Olivia shook her hand and gave her a friendly wink.

"I am the thankful one to just be here. It was nice talking with you as well, Olivia. Have a great day today. Come back and see us soon."

The two women parted ways, Mary back to work and Olivia towards Fitz. She filled him in on all things Mary and smiled inwardly as his face registered shock followed by surprise. He wasn't mad. Huh. Olivia felt a little bolder in her responsibilities and hoped Fitz would allow her more freedom in this trip they were on? She wondered if she could somehow talk him into letting her do a little more, maybe take on the responsibility of talking to the floor employees while he spoke to the larger group, it would kill two birds with one stone and alleviate some of the pressure he must feel to impress? It would also keep those employees on the clock informed about what was happening from someone with authority, who could reassure them of any worries they might have.

Maybe he would let her address the larger group? She already had an idea that it wasn't something he looked forward to from his relentless fidgeting in the car as he looked over his notes. Olivia doubted he would hand that type of leadership role over to her. It would shine a spotlight on her, and Olivia knew if this situation was reversed, and Fitz was in New York, she would try to limit what he would do too. This trip was a combination of competition between them as well as an attempt at partnering them to accomplish a specific goal. She wondered if Fitz would be willing to at least discuss with her the idea of letting her attempt addressing the larger group once?

She planned to make a list of pros and cons of her taking the leadership role in either item and talk to him about it soon. But for now, he was standing near the back door looking extremely handsome and approachable. A nervous smile was on his face as his eyes scanned the crowd of wondering employees. He took a deep breath, glanced in her direction briefly, cleared his throat, and began to speak to them. She sent him a smile and listened attentively.

Olivia took mental notes as he spoke, to go over with Fitz in the car on their way to the next stop. He was standing near the back door with everyone fanned out around him. It was easier for his employees to get distracted instead of listening to what he was saying. And it separated him from them. He basically set himself aside from everyone else. In her opinion, Fitz should stand in the center of the room. It made him appear to be one of them, and he would therefore be the focal point of the discussion. He would be able to walk around a little more, but it would hold their attention better and he could easily see each of his employees. Their only focus would be him.

She thought of a few more ideas to make this important part of their visit to each store more meaningful and interesting. Olivia's earlier guess that Fitz wasn't completely comfortable with public speaking was confirmed as she watched him. He was covering all of the important issues, but he sounded rehearsed. Robotic almost. He just needed to relax a little more and he would have them eating out of the palm of his hand and they themselves would feel more comfortable with this big news of a merger. She decided it was her mission to get Fitzgerald Grant to loosen up a lot more. Luckily, she was up to the challenge.


	5. Conversation in the Car

Conversation in the Car

 **Olivia's POV**  
"So you're saying you've never done it?" Olivia asked astonished.

"No! I never have! Why are you making this a big deal?" Fitz asked.

Olivia chuckles and says, "Because you are outside guy! You told me when we went to dinner on the day we met, that you like any sport as long as it's outside."

"Well, I've never done that. I'm so sorry to shoot your image of me down a notch or two. It's not even a sport anyway, it's something people do for fun. Can we just focus on the next stop please?" He asked in a frustrated tone.

The stick was back up his ass. Olivia glanced over at him from the driver's seat. He had his nose back in his damned notes. Who knew that asking if he had ever gone skinny dipping would turn Fitz back into a closed off prudish professional. She sighed, knowing that her attempt to bring him out of his shell a little more had backfired.

"Fine. Would you like for me to give you some notes on the things I noticed back there?" She tried.

Fitz turned in his seat to face her better and sighed. "You took notes on my store? Of course you did." He dropped the papers he was looking over onto his lap and sarcastically said, "I can't wait to hear what you observed."

"Never mind." Olivia said. "I actually am here to help. I'm not trying to destroy you. I thought you'd want some feedback from someone on the outside who has fresh eyes. But if you're not interested, that's fine too."

"How much of what you observed have you already emailed back to your boss in New York? I bet they are just racking up my errors as points for you to be able to slide right into the promotion."

Olivia turned her head, looked him in the eye, and exclaimed, "Fuck you!"

Fitz sighed again, turning back to facing forward. "Look, I'm sorry. That was below the belt."

"You're damned right it was!" Who the hell did he think he was? Well, at least Olivia knew where his mind was at when it wasn't focused on keeping his ass cheeks together to hold that stick in. If she wanted to email Cyrus about the things she saw, she would have. But she was trying to be a team player here. She still had her eye on the prize of the promotion, but she wasn't about to step on anyone to get it. It wasn't how she operated.

"I would like to hear your observations as long as they aren't personal attacks on my management style."

"So if there are things about Fitzgerald Grant that need to change, to better the company, or your branches, hell, even this fun little trip that we're on, you don't want to hear them? Is that what you're saying?" What an arrogant prick.

"Constructive criticism about my performance is fine. I love it even. It drives me to be better and to do better. But if you're going to tell me the clothes I wear made a bad statement, or that I didn't smile big enough then you can keep your opinions to yourself. Those things have nothing to do with the job."

"Actually, I think your choice of clothing was the perfect combination of executive and down to earth employee. But you don't want to hear about that, so I shall refrain from commenting on it."

Fitz smiled at her and Olivia returned it. "I'm really sorry about my earlier comment. It was rude and uncalled for. I haven't once gotten the feeling that you are doing anything underhanded to make yourself look better for the job. It's kind of...fucked up that they put us together on this adventure, knowing we both want the same job. It feels kind of like the business version of The Hunger Games."

"Look at you with a swear word AND a movie reference!" Olivia said grinning. "I happen to agree with you completely. They could have paired us with underlings to take notes on everything we did and then tallied up the points. That would be acceptable. I would say preferable even, but I am enjoying this getting to know you phase. When I am your boss however, you will need to get in line."

"Look at you with business humor! When you're my boss. That's cute." He chuckled.

"You calling my aspirations of climbing the corporate ladder cute is sexist." Olivia said, giving him a look.

"Look, if you are going to be a business executive, you can't claim sexism every time something doesn't go your way. You need to fight to be heard. It's not a chick thing, it's a business thing. You think I don't have to do the same thing to get my voice heard?" He asked.

"No. You're a man, and I assume everything that falls out of your mouth in the board room is magically a great idea and automatically put into motion." It was a sinking suspicion in her mind anyways.

"Why in god's name do you think that?" Fitz asked surprised.

"You are young, successful, handsome, and a guy." She stated. "The world is basically your..."

"You think I'm handsome?" Fitz asked playfully.

Olivia looked over at him, saw that he was grinning like a fool. She made a face and said, "That's not a professional question, Mr. Grant." At his deflated look, she added, "You're not hard to look at. Feel better now?"

Fitz pointed a long finger in her direction. "See, that's exactly the kind of stuff I don't need you criticizing me for."

Olivia laughed. "You asked!"

"I really want to hear what you observed and how I can make improvements. Whether it's at the store or my presentation or the color of my shoes. I really do want to do my best and like you said, fresh eyes really would be an asset. Just please refrain from commenting on my handsome looks."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "The first thing I noticed was your big head. You really do think too much about yourself."

"Ahhh, but you did say I'm handsome. So there must be something to that?"

He had her there. Olivia would learn one day to keep her opinions to herself when it came to his physical looks. "Shut up. As I was saying, that store's layout really is more or less like a few of mine. It flows well and the displays are great and very inviting."

"Is this a bear reference?" He asked with a smile playing on the edges of his mouth.

"It is! Look at you paying attention!" She grinned at him. "Mary is most definitely an asset to that store. I don't know anything about her pay scale, but you should look into it and see if she is up for a raise. If she is, give it to her. When your employees feel appreciated, they tend to stay more loyal and work harder."

Fitz wrote that down.

"How long have you known the manager?" She inquired.

"Lee? He's been with the company for a couple of years now. Why?"

There wasn't a polite way to say this, so Olivia just said it plainly. "He seemed overly nervous about the situation. And I know what you're going to say. Anyone in his position would be given the news of the merger. But there was something more to it. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something there that's more than just nerves."

Fitz recalled his meeting with Lee. What Olivia was saying was true. She didn't know him, but she was right. "What do you think he'll do?"

"Quit." She said with a shrug. "If he hasn't submitted his resume to a few other companies by the end of the day, I'll be surprised."

"Really? How do you know that?"

"I don't, not for sure. But I'm a good reader of people and he strikes me as the type who would jump ship. Think about it, he doesn't have many years invested in the company so he's not going to get a severance package if he decided to leave. He was sent to a floundering store to improve it, and while he has probably done a good job with it, he probably doesn't want to be there having to prove himself. Add the nervousness on top of it, and he's probably going to turn his keys in within the next two weeks." Olivia felt confident in her assessment of Lee.

"Would you like to put a wager on that idea of yours?" Fitz asked.

"You want to bet on whether or not your manager walks? Fine. I always need extra shoe money. How much?" Olivia asked confidently.

"Fifty bucks?"

"You obviously don't know my taste in shoes. Let's make it a hundred and fifty."

Fitz whistled loudly and thought about it for a minute. "Done." He reached over and shook her hand while she watched the road.

Feeling happy that he had loosened up some, Olivia pushed ahead. "May I give you some constructive criticism now? Pertaining to your time in the warehouse with the employees?"

"Why the hell not? You're going to anyways." He chuckled. "There's actually something I want to ask you about that pertains to that."

"Okay, but since I asked first, I'll go first. The things you said were perfect. You gave them the facts and were a complete straight shooter with them. I think people respect that from their superiors."

"But?" He asked.

"But, you positioned yourself away from them, standing at the back door. It made you appear as someone who is not on the same team as them. People generally don't respond well to that. My suggestion is that you stand in the middle of a big circle of your employees. That way, you are really with them. Among them. I would suggest that you move around some to keep their attention, but definitely be in the middle."

"That's not going to make me look like the center of attention and thus high and mighty in their estimation?"

"Of course it will. But you can turn that into a good thing."

"How?" Fitz asked. Who knew the place he stood was so important?

"By rolling up your shirt sleeves and appearing as ready to get to work with them. Let them know that even though it's a lot of information to digest, it's also an opportunity to work together to make it a positive and smooth process together. Also, relay to them how this information took you by surprise as well. Tell them how you felt when you heard the news. They will relate to you more on a personal level if you don't just spout out facts, but connect with them right where they are."

"That makes a lot of sense. You really are good with people. I had heard that about you before you arrived, but seeing it in action surpassed what I even imagined. Your managers must love you?"

Olivia smiled. "Most do. But I have some hard asses who think they know better than I. They keep things interesting for me."

"How's that?"

"I thoroughly enjoy putting them back into place when they screw up, which always happens because they don't know better than I." They both chuckled. "I know we just had some snack food, but I'm starving. Can we stop and get lunch?"

"You were reading my mind! I didn't even have any of the snacks. Big boys gotta eat!"

"Where do you want to stop?"

"I don't care. Anywhere is fine with me."

"Great. We'll stop at that McDonalds up ahead." She announced

"I meant anywhere but McDonalds. That's not real food."

"Okay. How about that Wendy's?"

"How about no fast food at all?"

She stopped at a red light and turned to him. "Why don't you pick a place since you are full of suggestions?"

"I already said I don't care. Anywhere is fine with me."

Olivia stared at him for a moment with her lips pressed together. "Fine. But I don't want to hear any shit from you no matter where I pull in." Not giving him the opportunity to argue, Olivia zipped into a burger joint that wasn't fast food. She heard him sigh from the passenger seat and almost addressed it, but he hadn't said anything so she let it go.

They sat down in a booth facing each other and looked through the menu. "I want a burger with everything on it." Olivia stated from behind it. "Ooooh! And some fries." She put the menu down and asked Fitz, "What are you having?"

He gave her a look and said, "A grilled chicken salad."

"Watching your girlish figure?" She joked.

"There's nothing girlish about my figure, but if I'm going to eat, I'm going to eat healthy." He retorted.

The waitress appeared, took their orders, and left. "You told me in the car that you wanted to ask me something that pertained to the warehouse conversation. What was it?" She asked.

The waitress set their drinks down in front of them and Fitz sipped his water before speaking to her. "Now that I've thought about it, I would like to alter my question."

"Okayyyy. Tell me what's on your mind, Mr. Grant."

"I would like to pass the warehouse scene on to you. I think you would be better at it and would connect to the employees better than I do."

"Why do you think that?" She asked. She was partly surprised by his candor and wanted to know why the sudden change of plans. Olivia already knew the answer, but wanted to hear him say it to her face.

"Because of all the things you mentioned in the car. Your suggestions to make it better come second nature to you. You have a way of connecting with people and making them comfortable no matter what you are talking about."

"So which part of that do you want to change?" She asked.

"I would like to do the speaking at the next stop using your suggestions to see if it makes any difference. I can compare between the two visits and see which one made the most impact. Is that okay with you?"

"And then you can congratulate me on my amazing ways?" She asked with a victorious smile.

"You're awfully confident for someone who hasn't addressed a group of strangers yet." Fitz said with a hint of challenge in his voice.

"Strangers are just people you haven't met yet. But I'm good with the terms. You take the lead on the next one and number three is my turn. But I have a question for you."

Fitz shrugged. "What is it?"

"At the next stop, you let me roam the floor of the store while you talk to the manager. I like talking to the employees and learning a little bit about them. All while keeping my anonymity." She raised her eyebrows and added, "It kinda makes me feel like a Bond girl."

"That would make me Bond? James Bond?" He gave her a wolfish grin.

"Bad analogy. Your big head doesn't need to get any bigger." But she could see Fitz very easily slipping into the role of James Bond. She bet he would look fantastic in a fitted suit and saving the day, with her on his arm of course. The more Olivia thought about it, the more she wanted to think about it. She wondered if she could get him to go suit shopping during this trip where she would recommend the perfect Bond suit for him. She could definitely check out his assets better while doing it.

She faintly heard a noise but ignored it as thoughts of him doing things to her in dark places filled her mind. Olivia was jolted back to reality when Fitz snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Whaaaat?"

"Are you alright? You seemed a million miles away just now."

"I'm fine. I was working out details in my mind for the third stop is all." She looked down and noticed that their food had come. "Let's eat. I'm starving." Olivia doubted the burger was going to quite quench the hunger that she was beginning to feel.

 **Fitz' POV**  
Back in the car, he and Olivia fell into an easy conversation while she drove. She was very easy to talk to, now that he had gotten to know her a little better. Fitz wondered where the skinny dipping question had come from and hoped it wasn't her attempt at small talk. Olivia thinking it was an outdoor sport made him wonder if she had done it before, but he refrained from asking. He glanced over at her from the passenger seat and eyed her body, imagining it in water and minus the clothing. The mental image was fantastic.

As soon as the words flew out of his mouth like word vomit, Fitz felt like a complete shit for suggesting that she was reporting his every mistake to her superiors to help her gain the promotion easier. He watched her body tense and her spine straighten before she turned to him and loudly exclaimed those two terrible words. It was like watching her turn into a different person. He decided not to ever say that to her again, no matter what.

As far as he could tell, Olivia wasn't like that. He apologized but still felt like a jerk for even speaking the words out loud to her face. He would have to find a way to make it up to her somehow. The fact that she continued to talk to him instead of clamming up meant that she wasn't one to hold a grudge. Fitz was happy to learn these little things about her as they went along.

The conversation became friendlier when the topic of their day came up and Fitz was thankful for it. She actually had some great suggestions and ideas for their next stop and Fitz held out hope that he would be able to remember them when he spoke to the employees at the second store. The fact that she wanted to talk to the hourly employees made him proud of her somehow and he didn't know what to do with that feeling. Fitz didn't know how a someone he barely knew could make him feel proud of her?

The moment Olivia dropped the ball and said he was handsome, he stopped breathing for a moment. He very much wanted to discuss that more, and brought it up a few more times to see what she would say, but Olivia wouldn't delve deeper there. Still, she had said the words and they stuck with him the rest of the car ride. He wanted to tell her she was beautiful to take the edge off of her embarrassment, but enjoyed seeing her back pedal over it and decided to keep his opinion to himself.

Food. Fitz supposed deciding on where to eat was the age-old question that went unresolved in all kinds of relationships. He wondered how she kept her petite frame if she ate burgers all the time? He decided she must be having a cheat day instead, and almost asked her if she went for her own run that morning. Again though, he refrained and tried to remember that he wanted to keep this relationship a professional one. Despite the thoughts of her that swam into his brain every so often. He'd never act on them, he told himself. They had been to one stop, and Fitz could already see that it was going to be a problem. He was already swearing around her for fucks sake!

It was entertaining to watch her eat the huge burger though. Her mouth would open wide and she went in for it, getting ketchup and mayonnaise on the edges of her mouth. He kept his head down, concentrating on his own food and avoiding looking at her openly, but snuck lusty glances at her through his eye lashes. He wondered what her mouth would feel like on him? Struggling to keep his sanity and clear his mind of all things sexy Olivia, Fitz shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Her James Bond comment didn't help matters at all.

Olivia seemed to be a million miles away at the mention of James Bond and Fitz wanted to know what that was all about. Surely, she wasn't having similar thoughts as he was? Maybe she was wondering what life would be like as a Bond girl instead of working for a toy company on the east coast? Whatever was rolling around in her mind, it had her truly preoccupied for a few moments. He had to snap his fingers in front of her face to bring her out of it. Watching daydreaming Olivia was an interesting experience too.

After they left the restaurant, Fitz and Olivia continued talking on the drive to their hotel. It was in the town of their next stop, which was just a few hours away. "Since we are going to be spending a lot of time together, mostly traveling, tell me something about yourself." Fitz said.

"Alright. What do you want to know?" Olivia asked with her eyes glued to the road.

"Well, since you met mine, what is your family like?" He inquired. He knew the information, but wanted to watch her talk about them. To see if she was close to them or just part of a family, but not really part of the family.

"Well, there are four of us. I'm the only girl and the oldest."

"A house full of brothers? What was that like growing up?" Fitz asked.

"It was a mixed blessing. They could be the biggest pains in my ass some days or my biggest fans. It depended on the day, their mood, and what I was trying to do." She took her eyes off the road long enough to smile at him. "Do you know what I mean?"

"I have absolutely no idea." He spread his hands out in front of him and added, "Only child, remember?"

"Right. I forgot about that. Well, when we were younger they liked to include me in the games they would play. We were a great team and stayed very close to each other. When they got a little too rough, our dad would wordlessly step in and scoop me up from the middle of the chaos and have a tea party with me. Or read to me. Or whatever I wanted to do. He didn't like the boys being too rough with his only daughter. I secretly loved it when he did that because I got to spend some one on one time with him. Away from the boys."

Fitz watched the smile on her face as she recalled the memories from her childhood. She was definitely close to her family. It sounded like her dad had a soft spot for her and she for him as well. He imagined the death of her parents had hit Olivia pretty hard. He couldn't imagine losing either one of his parents, much less both of them at the same time. Trying to shake off the dark thoughts, Fitz asked, "I enjoyed being an only child growing up, but a couple of brothers would have been amazing! How were they your biggest cheerleaders?"

"Well, there was the time when I was in third grade when a girl in the fifth grade took my lunch money. I had to teach her a lesson and they were right there encouraging me when I kicked her ass and took it back." Olivia shrugged.

Fitz laughed. "Wait! What? You didn't really do that?"

"Yea I did! She learned that day not to mess with me anymore. The boys carried me on their shoulders all the way home and excitedly told our father what I had done." Olivia looked over at Fitz, chuckled, and said, "That was a mistake."

"Why is that?" Fitz didn't even know Olivia when she was in the third grade, but he was proud of her! Surely her father had been too?

"Well, he didn't want his daughter fighting. So he asked the boys what they had been doing while I was teaching her a lesson."

"Oh shit!" Fitz exclaimed, completely in the story now.

"Oh shit is right! They couldn't contain their enthusiasm. They told him in full detail that they watched the entire thing and how I was amazing. They told our dad how they had cheered me on. That's when the whoopins were passed out to the three of them."

"But they didn't do anything wrong. You were the lightweight in the ring, so to speak." Fitz said, defending little boys he had never met before.

"Well, dad told them that he was disappointed in the three of them for not stepping in and stopping the whole thing. He explained that fighting isn't the answer. Especially over something as trivial as lunch money. He expected them to look out for me. Not encourage me to intentionally hurt another person while they cheered me on."

"Can I ask what happened to you? What did your dad say or do?" Fitz assumed she had gotten the same treatment as her brothers, and didn't really want to hear that. He paused to wonder why. Something that had happened so long ago and had zero effect on him now, but still he didn't want to hear that a young Olivia got a spanking from her disappointed father over her standing up for herself.

Olivia shrugged slightly. "He took me to the girl's house and made me apologize for what I did to her. He lectured me all the way to her house and all the way home afterwards. I can remember thinking he was being so mean to make me apologize to someone who stole from me. But he was teaching me a valuable lesson. I just couldn't see it at the time."

"Soo, he didn't give you a whoopin too?" Fitz asked. He was starting to feel relieved about the long-ago situation he knew nothing about until five minutes ago.

"Oh, definitely did! After we got home he whooped my butt too. I think he cried harder than I did though." She said with a chuckle.

Fitz chuckled with her. He envied her upbringing with siblings. It was something that he never really thought much about before. He knew fatherhood for himself was light years away, but in that moment, he decided he would probably want more than one child when he eventually did have them. "Tell me more about your childhood. It sounds like you and your brothers were very close."

"We were. Still are too. Of course, these days I spend more of my time with one brother in particular. Harrison is the only one of the three of them who has made me an aunt. The other two get regular phone calls, but I've discovered that being an aunt is a lot of fun, so I spend a lot of time with my niece."

"You have a niece? Really? How old is she?"

Olivia slowed down for an upcoming red light and scrolled through the pictures on her phone. She handed it to Fitz with a proud smile and said, "That is Sophie. She's almost two and she literally makes the world go round."

Fitz handed her phone back and said, "She is adorable, aunt Olivia."

She shot him a serious look and said, "It's aunt Wib."

Fitz laughed loudly and she joined him. "That's adorable! I love it."

"I wish my parents could have met her. Sophie would have had my dad wrapped around her little finger." Olivia said with a smile.

"I...read that you lost your parents. I'm sorry about that." Fitz said solemnly.

"Fitz?" She said still smiling.

"Olivia?"

"Did you Google me before I came here?"

Fitz's mind went into overdrive for a minute. He wondered if he should own up to the fact that he did? How else would he explain that he just happened to read that her parents died? He was fucked. Honesty is the best policy he decided. He swallowed and said. "Uhhh, yea. I did." Olivia's girly laugher filled the car and Fitz relaxed some. "Did you Google me?"

"Nope." She said grinning.

Fitz felt deflated at the knowledge of her admission. "You didn't even look me up in the company directory?" He knew he was sounding a little desperate and hated himself for it, but at the moment he didn't care.

"Do you remember when I met you?" She asked playfully. "I thought Stephen was you. So, no, I didn't look you up at all. But I find it very interesting that you looked me up. Why did you do that? If I may ask?"

"I wanted to know everything I could about..."

"The competition?" She asked, still playing.

"Honestly, yes. I thought I'd have a better understanding of who you were and how you had gotten to where you are if I checked." He hoped he didn't sound like the idiot he felt.

"Did you learn anything interesting about me?"

Remembering one thing they had in common, he smirked and said, "Actually, I did. You and I went to the same college."

Olivia slowly turned her head and caught his smirk. "You went to UC? No way! What did you major in?"

He cocked his head to the side and squinted his eyes at her. "Business. Same as you. In fact, we practically took the same classes."

"Wow. Small world. I didn't realize that UC was around that long ago." She giggled.

"Smartass. I didn't realize that female lacrosse was such a big thing. But there was your picture in all that gear. It was a highly entertaining evening for me, I must say."

"Did you see the photos of our nighty night at the sorority house I was part of? That was a highly entertaining night!"

Fitz's mouth went dry at the thought of it. "I think I missed those."

"Gotcha!" She laughed. "I was never in a sorority!"

He tried to think of a way to recover smoothly, but nothing came to mind but Olivia wearing a nightie. Fuck! Think of something idiot! He said the only think that popped into his mind. "Do you still have any UC stuff you wear around the house?"

"Like my shin guards?" She laughed.

"I don't like this side of you very much," Fitz confessed with a laugh of his own. "No. I mean like a hoodie or t-shirt or something? I have a pair of sweats that I wear all the time."

"Oh. Well, yea. I have a sweatshirt I wear sometimes. How did you end up going to a college in Chicago when you live in California?"

"I wanted to get away from home for a while. California will always be home for me, but I wanted something completely different for my college years. Chicago was pretty different, in my experience. I enjoyed it there and learned a lot, but it made me appreciate home a lot more after I graduated. Same question for you. Why Chicago?"

"It was one of the few schools to offer me a full scholarship that I actually wanted to go to. I ended up being happy with my decision to go to UC."

"I'm sure the Lady Pheonix team agree with that sentiment as well."

"Wow. You really dug in huh? Is there anything you didn't find on me?"

Fitz immediately thought of Olivia wearing a nightie but was smart enough to shake his head no.

They finally came to their hotel and the two of them went inside to check in and get their key cards. On the way back out to the car, Fitz said, "You know we have a huge toy testing at corporate coming up soon for kids of all ages. I bet I can get Sophie in on it if you think your brother and sister in law would want to fly out here and be a part of it?"

Olivia stopped walking and looked up into his eyes. "Really?"

"Yea. The company would pay for their flight over here if you think they might be able to take some time off work for it? Besides, it would be good for you to have a little family around while you're out here all by yourself. It's just something to think..."

Olivia hugged him, cutting all of his words off. Fitz stood there unsure of what to do for a moment. His arms, however, knew exactly what to do and made their way around her little body and held on. Fitz heard her sniff loudly and say, "That would be amazing." But he was too distracted by the closeness of her. As many times as he had already imagined her doing various things with him or to him, Fitz never thought the simple gesture of a hug would feel so perfect. The rest of the world faded away and he simply held her in the parking lot and tried to memorize the moment. Olivia in his arms felt like the most natural thing in the entire world and he never wanted to let go. He breathed in her scent with his eyes closed and silently told professional Fitz to shut the hell up.


	6. A Sleepless Night

A Sleepless Night

 **Fitz's POV**  
He had spent a mostly sleepless night thinking about that hug from Olivia. Was that a friendly hug? Was it more than that? Was it simply a thank you for offering to bring her family to California? He wished he knew what went on in the mind of a female, but that was one thing no man would ever figure out he decided long ago. It still didn't stop him from weighing the pros and cons of what exactly the hug in the parking lot meant. It didn't help that the damned thing played on a constant loop in his brain all night either. All Fitz knew was that he loved the feel of Olivia Pope in his arms.

God, he was pathetic!

Annoyed with himself, Fitz pushed out of bed and looked at the bedside clock in his hotel room. For fuck's sake it was only 4:18! He knew he would never get back to sleep, so he rolled his eyes and got to his feet. He went into the bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth. He then angrily pulled on some underwear, running shorts, and his shoes.

Determined to get his mind on today's agenda and off of Olivia, Fitz put earbuds in his ears and walked out of his hotel room. When he got to the lobby he realized it was pouring outside. He cast the sky an ugly look from the front door of the hotel. How in the hell had he missed that detail while he was up at all hours of the night? Feeling frustrated, and knowing he needed to run, Fitz asked the bored looking employee at the front desk where the gym was.

Following the short directions, Fitz got to the glass doors of the gym and saw none other than Olivia Pope, running her heart out on a treadmill. Luckily, the treadmills faced away from the door, so she had her back to him for now. He froze with his hand still on the closed door.

Shit!

He wondered what the hell she was doing up, much less running in the gym at this ridiculous hour? Was she working out earlier to make up for the cheat day Fitz was convinced she had taken the day before? Was she taking out her own stress, work or personal, on the gym equipment? Did she even sleep? Maybe she was a morning person? The entire reason for him needing to run and block out the world was the very person on the other side of the glass.

What should he do?

He should've stayed in his room and lived with his misery! Or just sucked it up and went outside to run in the damned rain! In Fitz's mind, this was not going to end well and he stood there struggling about what he should do.

While the inner turmoil raged in his head, Fitz watched Olivia run for a bit. She ran with the smooth perfect strides of a seasoned runner. She had on black spandex shorts and a black sports bra looking thing. His eyes slowly took in her small frame and all of the perfectly toned mocha skin that was openly exposed. She had a fantastic figure and he wished he didn't want to touch her so badly. Fitz watched her like a lion hunting its prey and hated himself for it. Kind of. He knew it was just a matter of time before they made eye contact, so he opened the door and stepped in, sighing loudly and shaking his head at the ridiculous situation.

Olivia still wasn't aware of his presence and he didn't want to startle her. Fitz took a step closer to her and said, "Good morning" to her back. She didn't turn around or acknowledge his existence in any way. She just kept running. Maybe she didn't hear him? Maybe she was one of those people who didn't like to talk when they ran? Maybe she thought he was here to talk about the hug? Nothing could be further from the truth!

Fitz decided to let go of all of the insane things running through his mind and just concentrate on his run and get it over with. He went to step on the treadmill next to her when she looked over at him with huge surprised eyes. She screamed loudly once, and fell down. Fitz dove towards her with his arms out and ended up falling on his chest and then getting flung across the room by the moving treadmill.

When he had finally come to a stop, Fitz shook his head to gain his bearings but that just made his head ache. He lay still for a moment, not ready to see if a bone was poking out from under his skin or blood was flowing freely somewhere. Fitz felt a heaviness on his chest and wondered what kind of damage he had caused by the foolish thing he had just done. Very slowly, he opened his eyes and was greeted by the beautiful hazy brown ones of Olivia looking down at him. She was sprawled out on him with her hands on his bare chest looking terrified.

Once again, his arms were on auto pilot, and came around her spandex clad body but she didn't move. They lay there on the floor of the gym looking at each other in complete silence for a few moments. Olivia's messed up hair curtained her face as she looked down at him. That was when he noticed the ear buds hanging from her neck. No wonder she didn't answer him. Fitz lifted his hand and pushed her hair behind her ear. Her skin was smooth as silk and he let his hand linger on her cheek. He found it very interesting that she didn't pull away from him, but continued watching him watching her.

Human instinct, maybe mixed with a little bit of curiosity and lust came over him, and Fitz very slowly leaned up toward her face. His heart beat a little faster when he saw her start to lean down toward him. Her mouth hovered just above his and her eyes flickered between his lips and his eyes. She seemed to be trying to make a decision and Fitz didn't want to pressure her in any way, so he watched it play out by the expressions on her face with silent fascination.

A moment later, Fitz watched her lick her lips, close her eyes, and lower her head the rest of the way. The moment their lips touched, Fitz felt a slight surge of electricity go through them. Olivia kept one hand on his chest while the other reached for his hair. She tilted her head and opened her mouth, granting him access, and Fitz took advantage of it. He expertly and slowly slid his tongue into her mouth to dance with hers. Her lips were the softest he had ever kissed and he wanted to take his time to savor them. A small moan came from Olivia's throat as their kiss continued. Fitz felt her fingers anxiously digging into his skin, yet he kept his touch feather light on her back and thigh.

He opened his eyes to peek up at her, but her face was one of shock. And she was...slapping him? What the hell?

He heard Olivia worriedly saying his name repeatedly. "Fitz? Fitz? Hey! There you are. Oh my god, I was so worried for a minute. Are you alright?"

"What...just happened?" He asked, slightly disoriented.

"You scared the shit out of me is what happened! I tripped over my feet and was about to face plant the treadmill when you...I don't know...dove toward me? The next thing I know, we are both hurtling toward the wall. You passed out." She knit her brow at him and added, "You really don't remember?"

That was not exactly the way Fitz remembered it, and truth be told, he preferred his fantasy ending a lot better than what really happened. But he nodded, winced, and immediately brought a hand up to his head when pain spiked through his skull. He groaned loudly and shut his eyes to keep the room from spinning. "My head is killing me!"

"Yea, well, diving onto a moving treadmill and then getting flung across the room by that treadmill will probably do it. I'm going to feel for bumps so try to lay still for a minute." Her nimble fingers gently scanned his head for blood or bumps. "You have a huge knot on the back of your head. You might want to get that checked out at the ER? Do you want me to drive you there?"

His fingers reached to the back of his head, brushing hers, and rubbed between the curls until he found it. The bump wasn't so bad. "No emergency room. I'll be fine." Fitz mumbled.

"Ahhh. So you're a literal hard head too? Good to know. Can you stand up? I'll take you to your room." She offered.

Fitz lay where he was for another moment and took a few deep breaths. He knew the moment he stood up his head was going to explode with pain. He opened his eyes and begrudgingly watched Olivia crawl off of his chest, stand up, and extend a hand to him. He reached a hand up and grasped hers, allowing her to help him stand. Explosion was a mild word to describe the pain in his head. He groaned again and swayed to the side slightly. Olivia put one arm around his waist and keep him from toppling over.

Olivia gathered her stuff with one hand and the two of them made their way to the elevators. The ride up to the ninth floor was fairly quiet, but once they reached it Fitz stayed slumped up against the cool metal wall inside the car. "Are you alright?" Olivia asked. He grunted in the affirmative and she somehow understood him. When they reached the door to his room, Olivia asked, "Where is the key card to your room?"

"Pocket" he breathed out, with his eyes still closed.

Olivia didn't hesitate, and reached her hand into his running shorts pocket and pulled out the small rectangular card. Fitz groaned once again, but this time it had nothing to do with pain. She slid the card into the slot, pulled it out quickly, and opened the door. "I'm going to get you on your bed and then get you some Tylenol for the pain. Okay?"

Fitz simply said, "MmmmHmmm." He had no idea how a barely five foot tall woman had gotten his incapacitated six foot tall self over to the bed, but he was thankful she had. He knew he would have looked funny crawling into the elevator and then to his room had she not been in the gym. Of course, had she not been in there, he wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place. He decided not to think about it anymore.

"Look, I don't want to just fling you down on the bed. That is going to make your head throb. It's probably going to get weird for a minute, but I'm doing this to help. Just go with it, okay?" Olivia explained.

Fitz had no idea what she was talking about. He didn't really care either at the moment. He just needed to lie down for a while and let the pain reliever do its magic.

Olivia helped Fitz stand beside the bed and pulled the blanket down to the end of it. She eased him down to sitting on the edge of it and left him there long enough to rifle through her gym bag and fill a short glass from the bathroom with water. She gave him two of the white caplets and brought the glass up to his lips and watched him drink a few swallows. Once the pills were gone, she straddled his lap and watched his eyes pop open wide. She smiled at him and said, "I warned you about the weirdness."

She put one hand under his head while the other one reached for the mattress. Olivia leaned over him, gently guiding his head toward the bed. Fitz cracked his eyes open and glanced up, seeing Olivia's scantily clad breasts hovering over his face. He knew that the sleepless night he had experienced over a simple hug was nothing compared to how thoughts of this would plague him for the next few weeks. Still he watched her treat him as a paralyzed man instead of a banged up fool.

Once his head touched the pillow, Fitz knew he had to get Olivia off of his body before things became embarrassing for him. He couldn't just shove her off of his lap. What to do and how to do it politely, he wondered? Thankfully, she got off of him immediately after straightening his legs. She pulled off his shoes, and the blanket up over his waist. He heard her say, "I'm just going to look at your chest to make sure you're all right. Is that okay with you?"

Fitz nodded his head slightly and said yes.

He felt Olivia's fingers gently probing the skin on his chest. It shouldn't have excited him, but it did. After a few minutes she said, "You don't seem to have any broken ribs, but I'm sure you'll be sore for a few days. We don't have to be on the road for a few more hours. You should get some rest until then. Try not to fall asleep though. It's not a good idea to fall asleep right after getting a head injury. Do you want me to turn on the television or something?"

"I'm pretty sure that's an old wives' tale. I'll be fine. Besides, I barely got any sleep at all last night." He yawned loudly and added, "Thank you for your help."

"Okay, but if you don't wake up, it's not on me. Once I'm ready to go, I'll come back here and help you get your things together and we can leave."

"Not on you. Got it." He heard Olivia ask him the reason for his lack of sleep, but he was well on his way to sleep and was glad to avoid having to answer that question. He heard his hotel room door close and drifted completely off, assuming Olivia had gone to her own room. He was thankful to be alone once again.

 **Olivia's POV**  
Sleep was not going to come to Olivia tonight. A million thoughts raced through her mind as she lay in her queen-sized hotel bed while the rain fell in sheets outside.

Work. Fitz. Last night in the parking lot. Preparing for stop number three, where she would address the group. Him offering to have Harrison, Leesa, and Sophie fly out here to be with her. Their schedule. That hug. That damned hug!

She snuggled further into the bed, turned onto her side, pulled the blanket up to her chin and tried in vain once again to shut down everything she was thinking about. All of the above kept her brain on active mode and Olivia knew sleep wasn't going to happen.

Five minutes later, she angrily huffed loudly and flung the blanket off.

She would hate every minute of it, but Olivia knew the one thing that would tire her out and empty her mind at the same time. Running. She went into the bathroom and pulled her hair up in a messy bun and then brushed her teeth. Once she was dressed, she grabbed her small gym bag and left her hotel room.

Inside the gym, Olivia wasted no time putting her ear buds into her ears, and turning the music up. Loud! She was thankful the gym was empty at the early morning hour. She got on a treadmill and turned it on. She glanced at her phone for the time. It was barely four a.m. Fucking hell! This was going to be a long day! The longer she ran the clearer her mind became and Olivia reveled in the freedom of it.

She was getting into a great rhythm, working up a sweat, feeling the endorphins surging through her body when she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. Olivia turned her head and saw...Fitz? He smiled at her and proceeded to get on the treadmill next to her.

The clear mind was immediately gone and her feet faltered, causing her to momentarily trip. She knew what was coming before it happened. To Olivia, it felt like it was happening in slow motion. She looked down at her feet one moment, and the next she saw Fitz diving in her direction. He caught her before their bodies collided on the treadmill and they both went flying across the room.

The two of them landed several feet away from the still whirring treadmill. Olivia opened her eyes and realized that she was sprawled out on Fitz's broad, well-toned, and bare chest. She hadn't had time to notice it before they fell, but now she took a moment to just appreciate it. His dedication to fitness was paying off and she was enjoying being on top of the well-defined benefits of it.

It was then that she felt his hands on her body. One hand was on her back and the other was on the back of her thigh. Not a bad position to end up in with him after a workout. She tried to keep thoughts of a different workout with him from her mind, one where he was on top of her and she could grab his ass and wrap her legs around his waist, but that was as pointless as her earlier attempts to sleep.

Realizing he still hadn't said anything to her, Olivia felt slightly embarrassed at her lapse into fantasy land and her eyes went up to his face. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving. Panic took over her and Olivia began gently slapping his face to bring him around. "Fitz? Fitz?"

He opened his disoriented eyes. "Hey! There you are! Oh my god, I was so worried for a minute. Are you alright?"

He just stared at her like she had two heads. She explained what had happened and watched his handsome face contort into confusion. Olivia wondered what he was thinking for a moment and then fear took over. How badly was he hurt? Did he have a concussion?

She told him to lie still so she could check his head for bumps or blood. It was impossible to maintain a worried face when his curls felt like heaven between her fingers. She hoped her happy groan was imagined and didn't actually come out of her mouth? She found a good sized bump on the back of his head and reported it to him. Fitz took his hand off of her back and brought it to his head. His long fingers found hers amid the mass of curls and his eyes flicked up to her face. If he was worried he didn't show it.

Olivia offered to take him to the emergency room, but he wasn't interested in that. She helped him to his feet and took him to his room instead. She felt terrible for him and tried to think of something to say. "That was some quick thinking on your part. Diving towards me. This whole situation would have been the other way around if I had landed on my face instead of your chest. Thank you."

Fitz just groaned in response.

He didn't look too good in the elevator as they rode up to their floor. She wondered if he was going to pass out, but he remained standing and Olivia considered that a good sign. Still, she kept her arm around his waist to prevent him from falling. At least that was the majority of the reason why.

When they got to his door, Olivia realized she didn't have his key card. When he told her it was in his pocket, she immediately reached inside his running shorts and retrieved it. Her hand brushed against a huge thing was that was also down there! Her eyes popped wide, but she didn't say anything and pulled the key card out quickly.

Fitz groaned in response and Olivia was thankful that the pain in his head kept him occupied from her latest discovery.

Inside the room, she maneuvered him to his bed and sat him down on the edge of it. She needed a minute and used the time to retrieve some Tylenol and water for Fitz. After he took the pills, she got on top of his lap in order to lay him down on his bed more easily. When his eyes flew open, she knew he wasn't entirely unaffected by the situation, and for some reason it helped.

Olivia was very aware of his eyes on her body and it didn't bother her at all. There wasn't much of a barrier between their bodies and Olivia could definitely feel the beginning of his erection. She enjoyed the little experiment, but got off of him as quickly as she could to prevent any unnecessary embarrassment. Fitz remained a perfect gentleman and never touched her while she took care of him.

She checked his perfect chest for broken ribs, even though she had no idea what she was doing. She enjoyed touching his fuzzy skin but didn't find anything out of the ordinary. She warned him about falling asleep after a head injury but knew it fell on deaf ears.

"I'm pretty sure that's an old wives' tale. I'll be fine. Besides, I barely got any sleep at all last night." He yawned loudly and added, "Thank you for your help."

She told him she would be back to help him get his things together in a few hours so they could be on their way to the next stop and he nodded. Olivia watched his closed eyes and wondered what had kept him awake all night? He was practically asleep already and part of her wanted to keep him awake, just in case there was truth to the head injury thing. Part of her wanted to just watch him sleep, knowing he needed rest after a night like the one she had had.

Olivia walked to his door and decided to throw caution to the wind and asked, "What kept you up all night?"

She heard Fitz mumble "hugging you" before he rolled over on his side and started breathing heavily. Her eyes grew wider at his revelation and she stood rooted to the spot for a moment before she pulled the door open and quickly walked out into the hall.

Back in her hotel room, Olivia leaned heavily on the closed door and sighed. Did he really just say that he had been up all night for the same reasons she had? What did that mean? Was Fitz developing feelings for her? Or, at the very least, thinking about her in a non-professional way? She began to pace the floor in her room as these thoughts invaded her mind.

Knowing she couldn't just sit around speculating on whatever was going on in Fitz's mind, Olivia took off her work out gear and got into the shower. The shower did nothing to clear her clouded mind from all things Fitz, and in fact made things worse somehow. Wrapped up in a towel, Olivia glanced out the window of her hotel room and saw that the rain was still coming down. She went to the tiny closet and grabbed a pair of gray dress pants and a plum button up shirt.

After she was dressed, Olivia packed up her things and placed her suitcase near the door. She put her make-up and jewelry on and then then did her hair. When she was completely ready, she added the small cosmetic and toiletry bags into her suitcase. She glanced at her watch and noted it was still too early for them to leave. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sipped it from the window seat in her room. The rain did nothing to improve her thoughts or mood and after a few minutes she said, "Fuck it!" out loud and poured the remaining coffee in her cup down the sink and headed for the door. If she was going to be tired and on edge, so was he.

She made her way down to his door with her suitcase and his key card in her hand. She was thankful that she had brought it with her when she made her hasty departure earlier. She knocked on his door and waited for him to answer. She didn't figure he would actually be awake but waited patiently nonetheless. She knocked again, slid the key card into the slot, and cracked the door open. "Fitz?" She called out.

He didn't answer, so she stepped inside, pulling her suitcase behind her and parking it by his door. She went into his room to wake him up from his peaceful mind clearing rest. He wasn't in his bed though and Olivia found that odd. She wondered where he was?

A door opened behind her, and Olivia spun around to see Fitz coming out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a fluffy white towel wrapped around and tucked at his waist. His lower waist. Her eyes were automatically drawn down to the white material blocking her view of whatever magical thing was hiding behind it. She had her own theories as to the size of it, based on what she had felt earlier, but she was curious as to the accuracy of her guess.

"Olivia?" Fitz said, jarring her out of her hormonal thoughts. "What are you doing here?"

Her eyes quickly darted back up to his face. "Oh. I, ummm...I..." What was she doing here? She looked around the room for the answer as Fitz watched her. She turned around and went to the window to give herself a minute. "I told you earlier that I would come and help you with anything before we checked out and got back on the road."

"You did?" He asked.

Olivia quickly spun around and faced him again. "You don't remember?" He was standing there looking at her with a confused expression on his ridiculously handsome face. "I knew I should have taken you to the emergency room! We'll push the meeting at the store back until tomorrow and get you to the ER. It could be serious." She went to his bed and sat on the edge of it and picked up the phone. She dialed the front desk. "Hi. I need the number to the closest hospital please."

Fitz plucked the phone from her hand and put it back on the cradle. When she looked up at him, he smiled and said, "I was kidding. I remember."

She stood up and found herself very close to him. "How do I know you're not just trying to get out of going to the emergency room?"

"I just showered, I'm all packed," he pointed to his own suitcase that was standing on the other side of the bed. "And I'll be ready to go in about fifteen minutes. It'll probably be closer to twenty since I have to get dressed in the tiny bathroom now that you are in here. I'm fine. Honest."

"That's a shitty thing to do after the insanity you put me through earlier! I hope your head hurts a lot."

"Wow. You're crabby in the morning, aren't you?" He said grinning.

"Not usually. But it's been a long tiring night." She softened. "How long did you sleep?"

He leaned to the right of her to look at the bedside clock and Olivia caught the scent of his aftershave. "Almost a whole hour." He chuckled, looking at her.

"Almost an hour of sleep turns you into a brand new person. That's good to know." She grinned at him. "I might suggest power naps when you get bitchy on the road."

"Ha Ha." He said humorlessly. "You look very nice by the way."

I could say the same thing about you, she thought to herself, and resisted the strong urge to lick her lips. "Thank you. The jury is still out on you until you're dressed." When he stood there looking into her eyes with a serious expression, she smiled and said, "That's your cue to go." She made the shooing hand motion and he turned around and went into the bathroom.

Twenty-five minutes later, Fitz came out of the bathroom and Olivia turned off the television. He was dressed in gray dress pants and a blue button up dress shirt, with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. His curls were perfectly styled into place. He looked like he just came from a runway show. He stood in place with his hands to his sides and raised them, palms up, and asked, "Well?"

"Rolled up sleeves. Nice touch. Whoever suggested that was a genius." She watched him smile as she continued to look him over. "You'll do."

"Do you like the twinning look with the gray pants?"

Olivia gave him a look. "No. We aren't going to our first middle school dance together. And never say twinning."

"Point taken." Fitz grinned, completely unbothered by her words. He stepped towards her and said, "I don't remember much of what I said in the early morning hours. I mean, I remember saving your life and getting sarcasm from you, but that's about it."

"Sarcasm?" She exclaimed. "It seems you don't remember anything that happened. Not correctly at least. I found the damn bump on your..."

Fitz held up his hand in front of her face, silencing her. "What I meant to say is, I don't remember saying thank you. For everything. You took care of me and got me up here to my bed and tucked me in. I don't recall getting a bedtime story from you though. You need to work on your bedside manner some."

She opened her mouth to give him some sarcasm back but he simply said, "Shut up." He took advantage of her stunned expression and said, "In all seriousness, thank you for taking care of me. I really do feel better, and it's all because of you." He stepped even closer and pulled her in for a hug.

Olivia wasn't going to waste this one with rushed emotions. Her arms came around his broad shoulders and she held him closely. God, he smelled so good! This hugging thing was getting to be a common occurrence between them. Olivia wasn't going to complain though. She took one last moment to memorize how it felt to be in his arms and hoped it would be the last time she spent a sleepless night because of Fitzgerald Grant. She pulled away from him, gave him a smile, and said, "You're welcome. Are you ready to get this thing rolling?"


	7. Bumblebee

**Olivia's POV**

This week has been a busy whirlwind of craziness for Fitz and I. We finished up the second and third stops on our schedule and everything had gone off without a hitch. Fitz really took to heart the notes I had given him about speaking to the group, and it showed. He was much more confident and relaxed as he spoke. It seemed to have the desired effect, and everyone was glued to his words. He had connected with the people and they seemed to sense that he cared about them.

At the third stop, I addressed the large group and I was completely comfortable with it. I had pushed Fitz out the door of yet another hotel so we could get there early and I could meet the staff. Connecting to people matters to me and I knew that once they received the news about the merger, it would matter to them as well. They would have someone they could talk to or ask questions to once the shock wore off.

Fitz had relinquished the large group job completely over to me and I didn't mind at all. Both of us worked well together to answer questions pertaining to the merger or anything else the associates could think of. We were getting a great working rhythm going and our stops were running like a well oiled machine. I was very proud of us for putting our differences and competitive natures aside to do the job asked of us. We were back to professionalism between us, and the stick seemed to have fallen out of Fitz's ass for the time being. The atmosphere was much more comfortable and relaxed, and it helped us get the job done without having to act like we were in a board room twenty-four seven.

We only had one more stop until we started flying, and honestly, I couldn't wait to turn in the keys to the rental car. I was so sick of driving for long periods of time on boring stretches of interstate highway. I must have looked tired when we left the third store, because Fitz asked me for the keys like he always did, to put our things in the trunk. But this time he kept the keys and when it was time for us to leave, he got into the driver's seat. I didn't hesitate and got into the passenger seat to relax some.

"What exactly has come over you, Mr. Grant?" I asked with my eyes closed and head leaned up against the head rest of my seat.

"What do you mean? I thought it went very well? Did I miss something?" He asked.

"I mean what made you take the initiative today? Am I that terrible of a driver?" I teased.

"I know the rule and thought I would change things up a bit and get my own way as well."

"What rule?" I asked, sitting up and forgetting my exhaustion for the moment.

He looked over at me and grinned smugly. "The one where the driver controls the radio. I have better taste in music so here I am. Besides, you always do the driving and I thought it would be a nice thing to do for once."

"You most definitely do not have better taste in music than I do." I chuckled.

"You don't even know my taste in music. How about you take a nap so you're not so crabby later?" He chuckled.

"Nothing is happening later but a long soak in a bubble filled tub and a glass or two of wine." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Olivia thought about soaking in a hot tub with him. Her mind went to places that made her core ache.

"Are you alright?" Fitz asked from the driver's seat? "Olivia? Hello?"

She shook her head a few times and said, "What? Yup. Great. I'm going to take your advice and close my eyes. Wake me up if we stop anywhere please."

"Will do." Fitz said with his eyes on the road.

She opened her eyes as the car came to a stop. Olivia rubbed her eyes and looked out the front window. "Where are we?" She asked sleepily.

"Gas station." He put the car in park and looked over at her. "I'm in the mood for a gas station hot dog."

Olivia scrunched up her face. "What? Really?"

"No, not really. The car needs gas." He chuckled.

"This sarcastic version of you is highly entertaining. But you might not live long enough to keep it up." I retorted as I slid my shoes back onto my feet. "But since we are here, you can buy me something to drink."

"You make as much money as I do. You can buy me something to drink while I fill up the car." He said smugly, before shooting her a lopsided grin and closing the door.

I begrudgingly made my way to the car carrying both of our drinks when my phone rang from inside my bag. It always seems to ring when my hands are full. I set the drinks down on the back of the car and fished my phone out of the depths of my purse. I found it by the fourth ring. "Hello?"

"Liv!" Cyrus' voice boomed through the line. "How are you? How's the road trip going? Give me all the details."

"Cyrus! I...wasn't expecting to hear from you." I fumbled.

"That part is obvious." He chuckled. "How is everything going?"

I glanced up and saw Fitz screwing the gas cap back on the car and watching me with guarded eyes. "It's going great. Fitz and I are making a great team it turns out." I was trying to sound positive and upbeat. It wasn't really hard to do.

"It's Fitz now, is it? That's interesting." He remarked overly cheerful.

"Well..." I said, turning my back on Fitz. "When we aren't around employees it's Fitz."

"So where are you right now? Buying shoes somewhere in a strip mall?"

"How long have you known me, Cyrus? You know I don't buy shoes from a strip mall." She chuckled.

"I also know you don't take your eyes off the prize when it comes to work, but here you are, sounding like a blind woman."

"Cyrus, I..."

"I'm on my way to a meeting with my boss to give him an update on your friendly little adventure. I'll be calling you later on to get answers to the questions I'm SURE he's going to have. Get your head on straight and remember why you are there. And it's not to be part of a team!" He shouted.

"Yes, Sir. I'll speak with you later. Goodbye." Olivia ended the call and threw her phone back into her bag with a frustrated sigh. Cyrus was right. She had lost sight of the reason she was here. And as Cyrus had said, it wasn't to become part of a team.

Olivia was here to further her career with a promotion that she had earned and worked tirelessly to attain. She wondered when she had forgotten that little fact? When had this become a partnership activity? The two of them were certainly not going to share the promotion, so why were she and Fitz, Mr. Grant, acting like they were participating in a buddy system of some kind? What the hell was she doing acting casual with the competition? Cyrus was right. She needed to snap out of it and get her vision for her future back on track. She rolled her shoulders, grabbed the two bottles of water, and got into the passenger seat.

"Everything okay?" Fitz asked from behind the wheel.

"Fine. I hope water is alright?" She asked in a clipped voice.

"Water is perfect. Thank you. How much do I owe you for it?" He joked.

"Two dollars and thirty-eight cents." She said as she unscrewed the lid to her own bottle and took a long drink of the icy cold drink.

"Wow. Okay. I'll get it to you as soon as we get to the hotel." He replied quietly.

She could hear the shock in his voice, and hated herself for putting it there. In order for her to stay on track and keep her focus, Olivia needed to go back to professionalism between them. She hated the thought of that too, but knew she had let her guard down around him too long already. This was not a friendship or partnership. It was a job, and she was here to kick ass.

When they arrived at the hotel, Fitz parked in front of the entrance and turned off the car but remained in his seat. An unspoken heaviness filled the air inside the vehicle, but neither one of them knew how to get rid of it. Olivia waited for Fitz to make the first move. To do something. Or say something. When it became obvious that he wasn't getting out, so Olivia reached for the door handle to check them in herself.

He turned his head in her direction, touched her arm, and said, "Wait."

She closed her eyes and sighed, making the heaviness somehow even heavier. Olivia tried to think of something to say, to make things between them light again. All she came up with was, "Did you want to go and check us in to the hotel? I can wait here."

"No. I mean, I will but what was that back there? You turned into a different person after you got off the phone. Is everything okay? Is it your family?" He sounded genuinely sincere, and Olivia hated that she had been so petty over the damned water. "You can talk to me, you know."

She gave him a small smile and shrugged her shoulders. "It's work. And nothing I can't handle. I'll go check us in if you want to grab the bags?" Olivia wasted no time getting out of the car and walking quickly inside the foyer.

The two of them got on the elevator and rode up to their floor in silence. She wordlessly went to her room and Fitz went to his. Once inside, Olivia dropped her suitcase on the floor and flung herself down on her bed. As she stared up at the ceiling, she wondered how she would ever be able to go back to being professional Olivia around him, after getting to know Fitzgerald Grant as a person? They still had twelve stops to make on their trip and she couldn't imagine being cold to him for the next several weeks.

Olivia curled up on her side, and had almost fallen asleep when she heard her phone ring. It had to be Cyrus calling her back. She didn't want to answer it, and tried to ignore it altogether. But she eventually got up off the comfy bed and grabbed her phone from her bag. When she saw his name on the face of her phone, a combination of obligation and guilt had her answering it and giving him her best side. "Hello, Cyrus."

"Hey, Liv. You sound better than the last time we spoke." The truth was he was fishing for information from her. Maybe she had gotten her head out of the clouds since they talked earlier? She did sound  
different, but Cyrus assumed it was from his long distance kick in the ass. He was going to take credit for it no matter the reason behind it.

"It's been a long day, Cy. I think the road is getting to me. I'm really looking forward to flying so I won't be stuck in the car on the way to stops anymore. You know what I mean?" She hoped he bought that excuse.

"Oh yea, I remember my road days. It's tough, but it makes you tough too. Builds character."

Olivia wasn't going to respond to that.

"So, how is it really going there? California is beautiful, huh?"

She knew what he was doing. She had worked with him for so long, she knew most of his tricks. If she commented on the beauty of the state, it meant she wasn't paying attention to her work. Olivia wasn't stupid. "It's really hot. And there's too many damned people here. I miss nice, normal Boston." At least the last comment was an honest one.

"There she is! Look, I know I sounded like a bastard earlier, but I'm not sorry. You sounded like you had lost your focus. Maybe it was a momentary lapse? Maybe I caught you at a bad moment? Whatever it was, I'm glad you sound more like yourself. Now. What has been happening and where is Mr. Grant weak? We can exploit his weaknesses and use them to our advantage. It's not personal. It's..."

"Business. I know." Olivia finished. "I haven't exactly had time to make a list of his weaknesses. I've been very busy here, Cyrus. There are actually large crowds of people who are worried about their job security. It's a major undertaking to calm them down and answer their concerns."

Cyrus waved a hand dismissively in front of his face. "I know all that. You are a people person, Liv. It's what you're good at. And it's part of the reason you were chosen for this task. The way you handle the people will certainly shine a light on yourself that no review or recommendation from me can ever come close to. But surely you've seen something lacking in him that you can use?"

Olivia tried to think of something small that she could give to Cyrus to pacify him without doing real damage to Fitz. "He's not very good at public speaking. He freezes up and fumbles over his words. It's embarrassing to watch."

"There ya go! You need to get in there and steal the show from him whenever you can. Public speaking is one of your many strengths. Is there a way for you to do that without drawing his suspicion?"

"Oh, you mean like addressing the crowd? That's a good idea!" She was not about to tell him that Fitz had already given her that job.

"I like it! You need to do whatever it takes to make that happen. I know you've got it in you, Liv. Call me by the end of next week telling me you're on it! No excuses! We need to get you a one up for this promotion. Do whatever it takes."

"I'll take care of it and talk to you next week."

"It needs to happen before the press show up to cover the story of the merger. Bye, Liv."

Olivia ended the call and shook her head. The first press stop was at the first store they visited once they started flying. Great. At least she already had the task done. One less thing to worry about. She glanced at her watch and decided she wasn't going out to dinner tonight. She'd order room service instead after she had a bath and a glass of wine, just as she had been looking forward to earlier.

She dragged herself up off the bed, knowing sleep was going to be several hours away and went into the bathroom to start filling the tub. Grabbing her own bubble bath from her bag, Olivia generously poured the liquid into the steaming water and watched the bubbles begin to form and gather on top of it. She took off her clothes, folding them and setting them on the white marble counter and gingerly stepped into the tub. Remembering that she wanted some wine, Olivia went to the phone near the bed and made the request, asking for it to be sent up in a half hour.

Once she was sitting in the warm water, she leaned back against the end of the tub, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. The tension from all things Cyrus was starting to slowly melt away. She needed to think about everything he had said, but decided that would be saved until she had a filled wine glass in her hand. This time was for relaxing.

After a while, the water started feeling cooler on her skin, and Olivia knew she had to wash up and get out. After washing her body, she pulled the plug and turned on the shower. She rinsed off her skin and stepped out, wrapping herself in a thick white towel. She wondered why hotel towels were always white? She shook off the random thought and dried her skin, followed by applying scented lotion all over.

Feeling like a new person with a new outlook, Olivia wrapped herself up in the white hotel robe. Maybe she had over thought the entire conversation with Cyrus? Maybe he wasn't being an ass, he was just checking up on her progress? She was well aware of her purpose on this trip after all, even if her ideas of it had changed some. Nothing had happened that was detrimental to her career. Maybe Cyrus just needed to calm down?

A brisk knock sounded from her hotel room door. Olivia grinned, knowing her beloved red beverage of choice was on the other side of the door. Now she'd be able to get some real thinking done. After a glass or two, she'd order some room service and eat dinner while she looked over the information for their next stop. And then sleep would come. Without an early day the following morning, Olivia planned to sleep later than normal. Maybe she could talk herself into skipping her run? She went to the door, grin still in place, and opened it wide.

 **Fitz's POV**  
He didn't know why, but this day was dragging ass! His daily routine hadn't changed all that much now that he was on the road, but it seemed like this day would never end. Part of the problem, Fitz realized, was all the driving he and Olivia were doing every day. He was so sick of being in the car all the time. He felt like he was living out of it. The thought of flying the rest of their journey was a happy thought that kept him sane on days like this one.

The monotony of packing and unpacking every single day in a different hotel room was getting a little tedious too. Fitz missed his bed. He missed his dog too. Roscoe was bound to weigh fifty pounds by now. The thought of getting him back to loving their runs together outside was an exhausting one. Getting him back in shape was another overwhelming thought. Fitz decided to put it out of his mind for today though and concentrate on what had to happen.

He was completely comfortable working side by side with Olivia by now. She was intelligent, funny, big hearted, humble, and gorgeous. The last attribute brought about some thoughts that were equally as exhausting as his day to day ones. But they were a lot more interesting to think about. As much as he tried to keep things between them decent, civilized, and polite, the lustful dirty musings still snuck in there.

He had gotten everything set up in the warehouse, even put out the snacks for the employees to enjoy, while Olivia chatted with the store employees working inside. He had come to appreciate her willingness and eagerness to learn their names and hear their stories. She said it made the people more real to her and that she genuinely loved that part of each visit. Fitz gave her a wide berth and stayed away, more or less, to allow her the freedom to connect with them.

As draining and monotonous as the day already was, one of Fitz's favorite parts of the day was watching Olivia enter the warehouse. She changed from the smiling, soft spoken people person into a business woman with a purpose. Fitz could see the change in her stride, in her facial features, and in her voice. She wasn't mean, she was determined. It reminded him of watching Bumblebee morph into a transformer in the film he had seen a dozen times. It was fascinating to him.

She spoke well, he had to give credit where it was due. She connected with the employees in a way that he never could. As he scanned the large crowd, Fitz noticed that she had the attention of every person standing in the room. And not just their attention, they hung on every word she said. Even though he had heard her give this speech before, Fitz found himself listening intently to her as well. She inserted humor at times, spoke about her own fears and worries, and made them feel like she was right there with them in the situation. He knew that quality of connecting with people wasn't something she had learned. It was a gift that just came naturally to her.

When it was over, he spoke to several of the people in the room and shook as many hands as he could. He knew he needed to work on making his own existing connections with these people even better. It amazed him that Olivia had taught him that in the short amount of time the week and a half they had been together. He wondered what else he would learn from her before the trip was over?

Fitz loaded up the car and slid behind the wheel. He knew if he was feeling tired, Olivia was surely exhausted. It would be a nice thing to do to take the simple task of driving off her plate. He passed it off as something about controlling the radio, followed by some smack talk about his taste in music, but that had nothing to do with his intentions for doing it.

Olivia closed her eyes and fell asleep fairly quickly in the passenger seat. The forty minutes she slept gave Fitz lots of time to just see her relaxed. These moments were few and far between, watching Bumblebee change into a different person, always on the move, and trying to mentally stay three steps ahead of everyone around her.

I noticed that in sleep, Olivia was perfectly at ease. Her beautiful face was completely relaxed. The little worry line that sat between her eyebrows and was barely noticeable when she was deep in thought,  
was no longer visible. Even her breathing was lighter. Bumblebee was at peace and it was fucking adorable.

She eventually woke up when the car stopped. I didn't really have much choice since we were starting to run low on gas. After a sarcastic battle of wits, Olivia went into the store to get us something to drink while I finished gassing up the car.

Olivia got a phone call as she reached the car and I entertained myself watching her try to find her cell phone in the never ending depths of her purse with two water bottles in her hands. I was screwing on the gas cap and was about to offer to take waters she had purchased, when she set them on the back of the car and finally answered the call.

I don't know who had called her, but Olivia turned away from me and I could hear the defense in her voice. As soon as the call ended she immediately changed. The worry line was back in full force and I was quoted an owed amount of money for my water. I immediately wanted to have a few words with whomever had just called her. Not because I now owed her two bucks and some change, but because she was back to being on edge again.

When we arrived at the hotel I wanted to talk to her. To make sure she was okay. But she wasn't interested in talking and wouldn't let me in, even a little. We went to our separate rooms in silence and I didn't like it. It felt like the day we met, where we were trying to out professionalize each other. It was unnerving, but I silently played my part, giving her space to work it out.

I grimaced when I walked into my room. I left my suitcase near the door and went to stand in front of the window that overlooked the parking lot with my hands in my pockets. I was pretty sure she just wanted to be left alone for a while but I didn't like the idea of her stewing in her room. There wasn't a lot I could do about it though. She was a grown woman who could do as she pleased.

After doing some stewing of my own, I finally sat down at the small table and pulled out my laptop, figuring work would be a good diversion. I pulled up several reports for the store we would visit next and made a few notes. I even looked up the names of all the employees who worked at the store. Somehow Olivia was still influencing me from her silence across the hall. I was getting into a good routine, and had even moved onto gathering information on the following store.

After an hour or so, I had gone as far as I planned to with work. I loved my job, but reports were, by far, the most boring aspect of it. I saved everything and shut my laptop down, putting it back in my bag. I  
was still feeling restless, but the idea of going to dinner alone was not enticing at all. Funny how the negative thought never even entered my mind two weeks ago. Now it seemed downright depressing.

Fitz sighed heavily and knew he had to get out of this funk. Shoving away from the table, he rummaged through his bag and grabbed a pair of running shorts. He took off his work clothes, throwing them haphazardly on his bed, pulled on the shorts, and got into the elevator to head downstairs. His mind was full of Olivia while he slowly descended to the first floor.

It was beautiful outside, and he took his time stretching in the warm sun. A small group of women were walking towards the door of the hotel and stopped all chatter the moment they saw him. Suggestive eye contact was made by more than one of them and Fitz stepped to the door and held it open for them. He gave them his best smile and greeted them by simply saying, "Ladies."

One of them turned her head to look at him from over her shoulder and Fitz heard one of them say, "Damn, he's sexy!" He went back to his stretching, ignoring the comment. If only he could get a reaction like that from Olivia.

Trying once again to force her from his thoughts, Fitz started jogging from the parking lot down to the street. Olivia stayed out of his brain all of three minutes before he began wondering what was wrong with her all over again. He wondered about the phone call earlier and came to the conclusion that the caller was either one of her managers or her boss. He knew either way, the call could bring an endless variety of problems to upset her.

Maybe one of her stores was having a problem and needed her help? Maybe her boss was unhappy about her progress on the road and was giving her a hard time? Maybe it wasn't work related at all and something came up with one of her brothers or her niece? Maybe it was none of those things and she was just having an off day? Who knew? He certainly wasn't going to over analyze it any more. He was getting a headache trying to figure it out and the bottom line was, it was none of his business.

He had only done three miles or so when Fitz turned around to go back to the hotel. He wasn't even in the mood to run. The whole purpose of the damned thing was to calm him and empty his mind. His head was fuller of Olivia now than it had been when he left. He was frustrated and tired and hungry. Fitz decided the only one of the three that he could do anything about was to get something to eat, so he picked up his pace as he headed back to the hotel.

He caught his breath as he rode the elevator back up to his room. Once he got to the door, he swiped his key card and went inside, immediately toeing off his running shoes. Fitz got a clean pair of underwear  
from his bag and carried them into the bathroom. He turned on the shower, brushed his teeth, and began taking off his clothes.

The hot pelting water felt good on his sweaty skin and Fitz stepped under the spray, letting it fall directly on his head and run down his body. He groaned at the feeling and closed his eyes, trying to relax as the steam wafted around him from behind the shower curtain. When he felt completely relaxed, Fitz washed his body and hair and rinsed off, lingering in the shower a little longer to enjoy the peace of it.

He stepped out of the shower and dried off his clean warm skin, wrapping the large white towel around his waist when he was done. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a blue polo and then went back into the bathroom to style his curls into submission. When he was satisfied with how he looked, he grabbed his key card, wallet, and the keys to the rental car and headed to the door.

Stepping out into the hall, he looked over at Olivia's door, adjacent from his own and wondered if he should invite her to dinner? He took two steps toward her door and stopped himself before he took the third. He recalled her silent anger and decided she probably didn't want to go out. He turned and made his way to the elevator at the end of the hall.

Maybe she would want to go after all? She had to eat, right?

As soon as he spotted the elevator, he turned on his heel and went back towards Olivia's door, doubting himself the entire way He was standing right at her door and raised his hand to knock on it, but hesitated before his hand connected with the wood. She did seem pretty pissed off at him and the rest of the world in general earlier. Maybe it wasn't a good idea?

He huffed loudly and reluctantly began walking back to the elevator. She definitely didn't want to go out to dinner. Probably didn't want anything to do with him either. He should just go grab something to eat by himself and come back to his room and be miserable alone. If anyone saw him they would think he was an idiot. Hell, he felt like an idiot! This was insane. Why were women such hard work?

He pushed the down button on the elevator and waited for the metal box to arrive on his floor. He kept looking over his shoulder every so often at her still closed door as he waited. When it finally arrived and the door slid open, Fitz looked up and saw couple glued to each other, kissing passionately. He stood there uncomfortably, looking at two people who had no idea a perfect stranger was there, or that the elevator door had even opened.

Suddenly, the woman cracked her eye open and when she caught Fitz's gaze, they shot open wide and she pushed away from the man quickly. She wiped her lips and the man knit his brow at her, not understanding why she stopped kissing him. He followed her sight line and saw Fitz, who was now completely embarrassed and felt like he had just been caught watching porn by his mother. He averted his gaze and the man said, "Sorry, man. I wasn't paying attention. We're celebrating. We just got engaged."

Fitz smiled at both of them and reached a hand out to shake the hand of the man. "Congratulations. Both of you. That's fantastic. Don't worry about me, I'll catch the next one."

He watched the metal door slide closed in front of him and saw his smiling reflection in the metal. He knew what he was going to do. He wasn't going to overthink it anymore, and he wasn't going to change his mind again. He turned around and went back to Olivia's door and knocked on it.

As he stood there waiting for her to answer it, he concentrated on keeping his mind clear of all doubts. His smile got bigger as the moments ticked on. He couldn't believe he was doing this.

Finally, he heard the door open and looked up to see Olivia standing in front of him wearing one of the hotel robes. His smile never wavered. He looked at her and at the same time he said, "Come to dinner with me." Olivia said, "What are you doing here?"

Her curiosity at the reason why he was standing at her door, made his smile grow even bigger. At least she wasn't kicking him, well...further out into the hall. "Come to dinner with me, Olivia."

"Come in." She pulled the thick edges of the robe at her throat closer together, holding it in her hand as she looked up at him and shut the door behind him. "I don't think that's a good idea. I'm not going to be very good company tonight."

Not to be deterred, Fitz put a hand on the wall beside him and said, "I am a great listener. You can tell me what's bothering you or on your mind while we eat. You have to eat something."

Olivia looked down at her feet and said in a quiet voice, "I'm really sorry for being bitchy earlier. You've been nothing but great to me and you didn't deserve that. Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive. It's fine, really. I sensed that you had gotten some bad news either from your family or work and it hit you hard. Are you okay? I mean, really okay?"

Olivia started to cry. She was horrified, but couldn't stop it either.

"Hey, hey, hey. Nothing is that bad. Come here." Fitz opened his arms and Olivia didn't hesitate to walk into them. He held her tightly close to her chest until she her crying ceased. He tried to just be the shoulder to cry on, but she smelled incredible. His nose was filled with whatever she had put on her skin.

"Ohmygod!" Olivia exclaimed, trying to get out of his grasp and failing because he wouldn't let her. "I'm so sorry."

Fitz smiled down at her face, which was blotchy but still so beautiful. "Stop saying you're sorry, Olivia." Using the pad of his thumb, he wiped her tears away as she looked up at him with a surprised look at what he was doing. "There's nothing to be sorry about."

Olivia eyed him and nodded silently.

They stared at each other for a long quiet moment before Fitz realized this was the moment, and slowly lowered his head. He didn't get very far before Olivia rose up on her tip toes and met his lips in the softest kiss he had ever experienced. The spark that he had felt in their imaginary kiss in the gym was real and it shot through both of them like electricity. Fitz already knew it was going to be difficult to pull away from her when the kiss ended and put that thought out of his mind for the time being. He gently pulled her closer to his chest, keeping his hands respectfully on her back.

If Fitz thought the kiss was all his idea he was sorely mistaken. Apparently she had been thinking about it as often as he had. Olivia seemed more than comfortable with taking the initiative of turning the tender kiss into something much hungrier. He heard her moan and felt her slither her tongue into his mouth to taste as she pleased. Her hands left his shoulders and moved up into the hair on the back of his neck, where she pulled him even closer. It was damned near impossible for Fitz to keep his hands on her back when he wanted nothing more than to carry her over to the bed, skip dinner, and spend some time getting to really know Olivia Pope in all her flawless glory. When she did eventually pull away from him, she bit his bottom lip.

"This bumblebee stings." Fitz replied as his smile returned, somehow even bigger than before, and he rested his forehead against hers.

He watched Olivia open her eyes and look up at him. "Hmmm?"

"Nothing. Say you'll come to dinner with me, Liv." He said as he just held onto her in complete wonder of what just happened.

He watched her arch one eyebrow and pull back from him. "Liv?"

"Yea." He shrugged. "Liv. Is that okay?"

She returned his smile and said, "Yea, just when we aren't around employees. Let me get dressed and I'll meet you in the hall in fifteen minutes. Can you wait that long?"

"I might have something to occupy my mind while I wait. See you in fifteen, Liv." He stepped back out into the hall and leaned against the wall beside her door. His grin was going to be a permanent fixture on his face, but Fitz was more than fine with that. He was glad that Olivia was no longer upset over whatever had been bothering her. He was thankful that he had thrown caution to the wind and knocked on her door.


	8. Boss Knows Best

_For some reason in the last chapter I mentioned Boston as home in the phone call between Cyrus & Olivia. Idk where that came from, and I apologize for any confusion it may have caused._

Boss Knows Best

 **Fitz's POV**

I was still on cloud nine after we got back to the hotel from dinner the night before. I still don't know what came over me in her hotel room, but I can't stop smiling because of it. I kissed Olivia Pope. It was incredible and so much better than I had even imagined. Everything about it was perfect. From the electric spark that went through both of us, to the moment she bit my lower lip, to the way she felt in my arms. It should have satisfied my curiosity, but instead it made me want even more.

I could easily see Olivia becoming an addiction for me, and probably not the healthy kind. But I was willing to bet she would definitely be the satisfying kind. Instead of walking away from her, I found myself drawn to her even more. I wanted to know more about her than I already did, but not for the reasons I initially began my search for. None of that matters anymore, because everything is so different right now. I'm not really sure how we ended up where we are, after that epic moment, but here we are avoiding each other like the plague.

We went to dinner and enjoyed each other's company. It felt so much more relaxed than the previous dinners we had together. We talked about everything from work to family and anything in between. There was a lot of smiles and laughter between us. A lot of lingering glances as well. It all felt magical and I never wanted the night to end.

But eventually, after playfully arguing over who would pay for the meal, we made our way back to the hotel. We didn't have an early morning the next day, and I was trying to think of some way for us to spend even more time together. The only thing that came to my mind was inviting her to my room so we could research the next few stops together, but I didn't know if that would be too forward to suggest or not? I ended up chickening out, but we did ride up the elevator holding hands. It felt very high school, but in the best possible way.

When the elevator stopped on our floor we both stood there, still inside, not wanting to separate just yet. Olivia looked up at me, and I looked down at her. The rest of the world faded away, and we stood there, smiling at each other. It was obvious that there was something between us. We just didn't know exactly what it was or how to deal with it, under the circumstances.

She slowly stepped out and I followed her before the doors closed behind us. I walked her to her door and once she found her key card inside her purse, she turned back to me and said, "I had a really good time tonight. Thank you for dinner."

"I did too. And you're welcome." I knew it would never happen, but I hoped she would invite me in. And not to do research for the job. "We probably need to leave by noon to catch our flight at two. Is that alright with you?"

She smiled brightly. "I was going to suggest the same thing. I'll meet you in the lobby to check out at eleven forty-five."

"Sounds good. Goodnight, Liv." I said, smiling back.

I turned to walk to my own room when I heard her sigh and whisper, more to herself than anyone else, "No kiss goodnight?"

But I had heard it, and I was not going to give up an opportunity knowing she was interested. I turned back around, saw her concentrating on inserting her key card into the little slot, and took the two steps to her. One hand went to her waist and the other cupped her cheek as I leaned down and tilted my head to the left. My lips hovered over hers and Olivia looked up at me with surprised yet hopeful eyes.

I brushed my lips against hers as slowly as my impatience could muster. This kiss held just as much magic as the first one, and I was spellbound. I couldn't help myself, and deepened the kiss before she took over as she had done earlier. Olivia's little arms came around my neck and she pulled me closer, her anxious mouth getting more ravenous with each passing second.

Things were quickly getting heated, and normally I would be all for it, but this time I wanted to enjoy things slowly with Olivia. I reluctantly pulled back and we both drew in some much needed air. I looked at her beautiful face and once again, enjoyed watching her take her time opening her gorgeous brown eyes.

I heard a familiar sound, but it seemed miles away so I ignored it and focused on her face. Olivia's eyes suddenly popped open, startling me, and she said, "Aren't you going to answer that?"

"Answer what?" I asked.

She chuckled and replied, "Your phone is ringing." When I seemed confused about what she was saying, she added, "In your pocket? Your cell phone? You should probably at least see who it is."

Suddenly, I put the familiar noise and her words together and realized what she was saying. Feeling slightly embarrassed, I took a step back from her and reached into my pocket to look at it. The face of my phone told me it was Abby. I looked up at Olivia and said, "It's work. I should probably take this. I'm sorry."

She smiled, seeming to be entertained at my fumbling self. "Okay. I'll see you in the lobby for check-out tomorrow. Goodnight, Fitz."

I couldn't resist, I smiled, stepped back to her, leaned down, and kissed her cheek. "See you then. Goodnight, Olivia."

I watched her go into her room and answered the incessant ringing. "Hello, Abby."

"Finally!" Abby demanded. "What the hell took you so long to answer the phone?"

"Sorry, I'm just getting back from dinner and trying to get into my room. Hang on a sec." I slid the key card and opened the door, throwing my phone on the bed and quickly changed into sweatpants. I sat down on my bed and leaned my back against the headboard comfortably. "What's going on?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She said with an edge to her voice.

"What do you mean?" I asked in a voice filled with unequal measures of dreamy bliss and attention to her words.

"I mean, what the hell is going on between you and Olivia Pope?" She asked as her voice got louder.

I bolted upright on the bed, completely alert, but tried to keep my voice casual. "I don't understand the question? We just had dinner and tomorrow we are getting on an airplane to fly to our next stop."

"You just had dinner? With Olivia?" Abby accused.

"Yea, is there something wrong with that?"

"Not at all." Her voice said something completely otherwise. "Do you know who Cyrus Beene is by any chance?"

"Who?" I asked.

"I didn't think so. Mr. Beene is Olivia's boss, and he reached out to me about an hour ago with concerns about her, and you, and this little project."

I didn't know what to make of this information. What kind of concerns did Olivia's boss have with the job he probably asked her to do? She was doing her part beautifully and so was I for that matter. If he didn't like the fact that the two of us were on the road, he really should have thought about that before he sent her out to do the damned job! Fitz wondered if the phone call Olivia got while they were at the gas station had been from her boss too? This Cyrus? He wondered it but Fitz couldn't say any of that to Abby. He had to play it cool and uninterested. "What kind of concerns?"

"See, that's a red flag to me right there!" Abby pounced.

"I said four words, Abby." Fitz said exasperatedly. "How is that a red flag?"

"You didn't jump at the opportunity to ask how to capitalize on this information. To tip the scales in your favor. Your first response is worry for her. I knew this was a bad idea, sending out a man and a woman on a road trip for several weeks together without knowing each other beforehand! Of course I had no say so in the matter, but still, I knew it was a bad idea. Are you screwing her? And don't lie to me." She demanded.

"What? Absolutely not!" I yelled. "Have you lost your damn mind?" I got up from the bed and began pacing around the small room. It unnerved Fitz to have the crazy redhead asking him if he was having a sexual relationship with Olivia. If he was honest with himself, Fitz would admit that he had thought about it. Maybe fantasized is a better word for the things that had run through his mind at random times the last few weeks? He had done mental cartwheels over just a kiss. Sex was probably never going to happen between them, and if it did, he would die from the aftershocks.

"Have you stopped to wonder if maybe, just maybe, her boss is pulling this stunt in an effort to get her to come back to New York? Maybe he realized that she is far too valuable to be out doing mundane road trips like an entry level peon? Did you ever think of that?" Fitz congratulated himself on his quick thinking and hopefully throwing Abby off the scent.

"No, I never thought of any of that because he went into great detail of the things that he is concerned about."

"Like what?" Fitz asked, not bothering to mask the impatience in his voice. "The feedback we are getting from employees is all positive. Many of them have come to either Olivia or I directly and thanked us for the professional way we have handled breaking the news of this merger. We have done exactly what we were asked to do, which is to calm the masses and answer their questions."

"You're not concerned about what has him taking the time to find out who I am, what my number is, and to go to the trouble of actually making a phone call to voice his worries about his star employee?" When Fitz let out the first syllable of a response, Abby shut him down. "No! You listen to me for a minute. I don't know why he thought I was your boss, but you'd better be glad he contacted me instead of Stephen. He would have shut this shit down immediately and made you come back to the office! No woman is worth you losing your focus, Fitz. I don't care if you two have been playing grab ass in your hotel rooms, or if, as you say, nothing is going on at all, which I don't happen to believe. Shut it down NOW!"

"Are you done?" Fitz politely asked, as he seethed privately. "No one is playing grab ass anywhere. We are both taking this fucked up adventure very seriously. The entire operation is running smoothly and I don't appreciate you calling me and accusing me of deviant behavior that's unbecoming of a senior employee of this company! I don't care what Cyrus Beene thinks or what kind of impressions he got from a phone call with Olivia Pope! He isn't even here!"

"Wow." Abby replied.

"Wow, what?" Fitz asked irritated.

"You've got it bad for her."

"What the hell are you talking about? Didn't you hear anything I just said?" Fitz was yelling now.

"Oh, I heard you. The thing is, you never get this wound up over anything. I've seen you bothered by work stuff before, but not like this. You are acting like you're trying to...protect her or something? The question is from what? I think you need to be reminded of exactly why you are on the road, like an entry level peon. Exactly what your purpose is for this task. And it's not to make nice with Olivia Pope, as charming as she might be. I think you've lost sight of that in the few weeks you've been gone. Either she's really done a number on you, or you have lost your mind. I really don't think it's the latter, because you are smart, driven, goal oriented, and dedicated to the job."

"Abby..." Fitz began quietly.

"So, my best advice to you is to figure out what the hell Olivia has done to you and get back in the game. If you screw this up, she wins. Do you get that?" She asked exasperatedly. "Olivia will get the promotion that you have worked your ass off for. Is...whatever is going on between the two of you worth that? The Fitzgerald Grant that I know would say absolutely not! Don't forget that the day after tomorrow the press will be at the store, covering the news of this merger. You need to be clear headed because they are going to interview both you and Olivia. If you think for one minute that the higher ups won't be watching, you're fooling yourself. You have got to shine brighter than her. Get your head out of your ass and call me when you are done acting like an idiot."

Fitz sighed loudly and again, threw his phone down on the bed. He hated to admit it, but Abby was right. Well, partially right. He had done his job to the best of his ability at each and every store. Fitz had no concerns about that whatsoever, and believed that Abby was in the wrong for making it sound like he wasn't performing at the top of his game. He was confident in the professional way he spoke to each of the managers as well as taking the time to make sure each employee had been heard and each of their questions answered.

But if he was honest with himself, Fitz knew that Olivia was often in his mind when maybe she shouldn't be. He knew he spent far too much time thinking about her or watching her as they worked. Maybe she had become a slight distraction, back in the recesses of his mind while he was on the clock? Maybe the thoughts of her that Fitz conjured up in his mind had taken up more space than he himself realized? He could admit that he longed for the time when the job was done and they could take off the professionalism between them and just be Fitz and Olivia, two people who enjoyed each other's company.

He sat back down on the bed and gave all of that some thought. He probably could be a little clearer headed when it came to Olivia. The fact of the matter was that they had been thrown together for this task so both companies could decide which of them was more deserving of the promotion. In the beginning, Fitz knew the job was his. Even starting out, he didn't factor Olivia as much of a threat. But now that he knew more about her, he knew that she was. She was damned good at her job and people gravitated to her.

Another thing to keep in mind was that Olivia lived on the East Coast, while he lived out West. If, by some great miracle, something developed between them, it would be a long distance relationship. Added to that, it would be between two people who worked for the same company, and one of them would be the other's boss, automatically deeming it inappropriate. The fact that his mind went from a few kisses to a possible relationship was an indicator as to where his thought process was at.

What a fucking nightmare! He decided to talk to Olivia about it tomorrow while they were in the air. They could discuss everything openly and she wouldn't be able to escape him. Wondering how he had gone from a grinning fool to a miserable man, Fitz crawled under the blanket, feeling defeated, and went to bed.

 **Olivia's POV**  
"You did what, Cyrus?" I hissed as I listened to him go off on a tirade about this insane thing that he had done. "Please tell me you're kidding. Tell me that you are messing with me, because I will never be able to face Fitz again if you are serious!"

"Hell no I'm not kidding. I was worried about you and took steps to make sure you didn't worry me anymore. You should be thanking me!" Cyrus' voice rose with each word and as a result, I pulled my cell phone further away from my ear.

"What exactly do you think I'm doing out here in sunny California, if not the job you assigned me to do?" It was early in the morning and I was half dressed for the day when my phone rang. I still had almost three hours before I had to meet Fitz downstairs in the lobby to check out of the hotel, so I accepted the call and continued to get ready.

I was expecting the usual Cyrus bullshit and was doing a good job of halfheartedly ignoring him as I applied my make-up, until he told me what he had done the night before. To say I was shocked, would be an understatement. I was mortified, confused, and pissed off! I didn't understand what made Cyrus think he had the right to contact Fitz's superior to voice his imaginary baseless concerns about how I was doing my job? The fact that he had contacted Abby, thinking she was his boss, was of some relief, but I wasn't about to tell him he had made an error there. I didn't want to think about what the repercussions would have been for Fitz if Cyrus had gotten in touch with Stephen instead.

"I don't know, but the last few times we have spoken, you haven't sounded like the Olivia Pope I know and respect. Now I don't know what in the holy hell is going on out there, but you need to get your head back in the game!" He barked.

"This isn't a game though, Cyrus. It's a job I was assigned to do, and I have been giving it every ounce of my attention and hard work for the promotion that I deserve. I don't understand what makes you think otherwise? You are making me look foolish to the people I work with and undermining my position."

"Is that a position that Fitz put you in?"

"You're being disgusting and crude."

"And untrue?" He asked. "Look, we both know that you have let your guard down a little bit since you've gotten there. You've softened some. I'm not doubting that you are doing your job well, but is it your best? Can you honestly tell me that Fitzgerald Grant hasn't gotten into your brain and created a soft place there? You call him by his first name for god's sake."

"We work side by side every single day on this project that you hand picked me for." Olivia shot back. "That's it." She wasn't about to admit to herself that Fitz did have a soft spot somewhere in her mind. She certainly wasn't going to admit it to her boss either. "It was very unprofessional for you to contact his boss and share with her the unfounded things that you have spent way too much time contemplating. Think of how it makes me look. Besides, I thought we had this all worked out when we last spoke on the phone?"

"And you need to think about why you are there, Olivia. You want that promotion? Then act like it! Stop calling him Fitz, like some love sick cheerleader. He's Mr. Grant! The more professional you keep things between both of you, the better your chances are at that promotion. I know you are doing your best on the job. It's whatever is going on after hours that has me skeptical."

"Cyrus, I appreciate your concern for me professionally as my boss. But whatever I do after hours, is quite frankly, none of your business. If I ever give you a reason to be concerned about my work ethic, then we'll discuss it. Otherwise, keep out of my personal life."

"You can't have a personal life with Mr. Grant, is what I'm telling you. It will inevitably spill over into the business side of things and it could cost you the promotion. I'm not about to let that happen!"

"I am not having a personal life with Mr. Grant. But I am telling you that whatever I choose to do in my personal life, is just that. Personal. Goodbye, Cyrus!" She ended the call and reared her arm back to throw her phone, but then thought better of the idea and just dropped it on the bathroom counter.

The entirety of that conversation played over and over in my mind as I boarded the plane later that afternoon. I had a bad feeling as I took my seat, next to Mr. Grant. Not the kind of feeling where I thought the plane might crash, but something just as dark was looming. I just didn't know what it was.

Speaking of soft spot Fitz, he was acting kind of weird. We had seats right next to each other, but he hadn't spoken to me yet, and instead, was quietly looking out the window. I didn't need him being weird with me on top of everything else that was going on in my mind at the moment. I tried to think of something to talk about but came up dry, so I sat there quietly with my hands folded in my lap.

The plane took off and even though he was now facing forward, he still remained silent. I was not going to be able to deal with this for the next two hours. The only words that came out of my mouth were, "That was one of the nicer hotels we have stayed in so far." Jesus, that sounded stupid.

Fitz nodded mutely and searched the pocket of the seat in front of him for something to read.

The next hour was spent in complete silence between Fitz and I. He declined anything to drink when offered, and continued to stare out the window as if in a trance. As much as I really wanted to talk to him, I respected his solitude and tried to enjoy my own.

I had absolutely nothing to do but sit there, talking to no one, but bursting inside with need to. It was difficult for me to be quiet, I discovered, and I made mental notes of my talking points when I finally did prod Mr. Grant from his silence. I outwardly shivered at the thought of calling him Mr. Grant once again.

The mental notes became actual notes, and as I wrote I realized it helped me adapt to the deafening quiet between us. I assumed he already knew about Cyrus' phone call to Abby and knew she must have called Fitz to talk about it. I wondered what their conversation went like and if it was similar to the one I had had with Cyrus earlier that morning? I wondered about his reaction as well. Was he mad about it? Was he defensive? Was he thinking of ways to dump the rest of this project onto someone else so he could get back to his office? Olivia wondered if she should be contemplating the same thing?

I quickly had a small sheet of paper filled with things I wanted to ask Fitz about. Still, he showed no interest in talking to me, much less looking in my direction. Maybe Cyrus had been right? Maybe this awkwardness was the result of personal life spilling over into the professional one? All this second guessing was insane!

I rolled my eyes and decided to get the awkwardness that was between us over with. I turned toward him and said, "Can we talk for a minute?"

Again, he nodded silently.

"I'm guessing from your silence, that you have been made aware that my boss called Abby last night?" I watched for his reaction, expecting anger as I had initially felt, but got nothing but a tight smile. "Cyrus is a brilliant man, but a pain in the ass most of the time. I'm very sorry that he did that."

Fitz sighed and finally spoke. "I don't know what his concerns were, because Abby wouldn't stop shouting long enough to share them with me. I thought we were doing the job as well as could be expected, but apparently that isn't true? She hinted that things aren't as they appear between us. Things other than a professional working relationship. I never admitted to anything going on of that nature to her though. Stilll, I will be the first to apologize and say that I was wrong for crossing a line by kissing you. Even though we weren't on company time, it shouldn't have transpired. It won't happen again."

Olivia felt like a deflating balloon. This is not what she wanted him to say. She understood what he meant and why he was saying the things he was, but it just made her more mortified, confused and pissed off. She wondered how he could turn his feelings off like that so fast? Maybe that was the problem? Maybe there were no feelings on his side, and it was just a few kisses? She wondered if he meant what he said, or if he thought these were the things he should say; the company line so to speak?

"Look, I'm not blaming you for whatever happened between us. I was a willing participant and if we are going to apologize, then I will have to apologize too." She hated this. Olivia could practically see the imaginary stick slide back into Fitz's ass as he became professional Fitz once again, making sure everything was proper. Instead of being hunched over, as he was when looking out the window, he was now sitting ramrod straight. "But I don't want to apologize because I'm not sorry that it happened."

Fitz's eyes snapped up to hers and he looked at her intently for a few moments. He seemed to be taking his time to form his reply. "I'm not sor..." He looked down at his feet before he said anything more. He nodded to himself a few times, cleared his throat, and looked back up at me. "Look, we are both adults. And besides a few heated kisses, nothing overly serious really happened between us."

Olivia felt her balloon deflating more rapidly and instead of returning his gaze, she concentrated on the view out the tiny window behind Fitz. He needed to stop talking.

"It's probably for the best since we are both competing for the same promotion within what is now the same company to keep our focus and avoid potential embarrassment, as well as future phone calls from our superiors. And even though the two unprofessional moments happened while we were not at work, I think it's a good idea for us to just do the job we were assigned and keep things the way they were in the beginning between us. It would confuse things for us while we are at work if...whatever this is continues for much longer."

"But..." My sensical talking points were long forgotten. I was winging this, armed with nothing but emotion.

"Besides, you live on the East Coast and I live here. There is no future for us but a long distance relationship that would eventually fizzle out from the frustration of not seeing each other."

That last part caught my attention. He had thought this for a while it seemed. He went from talking about kisses to a relationship. I wasn't sure what to make of that, or what I thought about it either. I decided to leave it alone for now and think about it on my own time though. I didn't want to agree with anything he had just said, but the rational side of my brain knew he was right. "Okay." I conceded.

As much as it saddened me to admit, it was ridiculous to think this thing could go anywhere. It wasn't even a thing yet. It was a few moments of lapsed judgement between two adults who work together and let things get out of hand. And it probably was best to shut it down now, before feelings developed or someone eventually got hurt.

"Okay," he echoed sadly.

Something in his voice made me think that he wasn't sure, and that all of this was definitely not okay with him. I wanted to question him about it some more, but decided against it. Besides, everything he said did make sense on some level. It was time to let go of whatever this was and do the job we were assigned to as professional executives. "We can still be friends." I said hopefully.

He shrugged. "Sure, but you will be Miss Pope from now on instead of Olivia or..." His voice drifted off and he didn't finish his sentence.

"Or Liv," I added quietly. He nodded sorrowfully and as I studied his face, I saw the pain he was trying to hide behind. I felt the same pain he was experiencing, and tried just as hard to disguise it. I straightened my shoulders and put a smile on my face that I hope looked genuine. Trying to sound cheerful somehow, I changed the topic by asking Fitz, "What is the plan for when we are met by the press?"

The change in gears seemed to be exactly what he needed, because Fitz turned into work mode. "Uhhh, they are going to meet us in front of the store before we go inside so we will have to be there earlier than normal. And we will need to be in our best business attire since we will most likely be on the local news. But, you always look great in whatever you...You'll be fine."

His slip up didn't get past me and while I was all professional on the outside, I was smiling on the inside. He noticed what I wore every day and thought I looked great. It wasn't much, but it was something I'd hold on to in the future. Trying to keep up with the conversation and not float off into the land of a lovesick cheerleader, I asked "No rolled up sleeves for you then. You'll need to wear a suit jacket. Did you bring one?"

"I did. Just one though, so I might need to buy another one before we have our second press visit so it doesn't look like I'm wearing the same clothes all the time. Don't forget we'll be having the toy testing at corporate next week too. Are you excited to see part of your family at least?"

I couldn't contain my smile. "I really am. It feels like forever since I've seen my niece. We FaceTime once a week, but I really do miss her. She's probably grown two inches and is doing all sorts of things she wasn't when I left. It'll be nice to have family around me, even if it's for a short visit disguised as a toy testing. How are we going to get to corporate while we're supposed to be out on the road though? I checked the calendar and we are supposed to be at one of the stores that day."

"I already took care of it. I swapped the visit with one of our off days, so we can fly back to corporate, spend the day there, and then fly back to the hotel later that night to continue this ridiculous expedition."

"Really? You're not exactly on their good side right now. Are you sure it's a good idea to skip a stop and be seen at corporate for a simple toy testing? I don't want you to get into any more trouble." I really didn't. It was the last thing Fitz needed right now.

"It's fine. I plan on being the poster child for professionalism for the next several days. No one will have anything to point out to me for correction because I will be perfect in every way imaginable." He grinned at his plan.

I pretended to stick my finger down my throat, gagging, and heard him laugh heartily. It was a great sound and I was glad to know he hadn't forgotten how to lighten up some in the midst of everything we were dealing with. "Good luck with that plan, Mr. Grant."

He was back to looking at me intently and I wondered what he was thinking about? He gave me a smile and said, "I'm glad we aren't the kind of people who sweep things under the rug to avoid them. Even uncomfortable things. It's always best to deal with something head on and move forward. I appreciate that about you, Oliv...Miss Pope. I know that was a difficult thing to bring up in conversation, but I'm glad you did. I'm also glad the air between us is cleaered up. I think you are very brave to have done so."

Whoa. Did he just compliment me somehow on bringing up the shit storm both of our bosses dumped on us? It sucked that we had to deal with the insanity of them, but it sucked even more that we both had decided to be strictly colleagues instead of seeing where the heated kisses would take us. But at least he was being kind about it. He could have blamed me or avoided talking about it altogether, leaving me wondering. He could have been an asshole about it too. But he didn't do any of those things. Professional Fitz wasn't such a bad guy after all. This could work. It pretty much had to.


	9. Making Room

Making Room

 **Olivia's POV**

We landed at our destination and Lori had already arranged for a rental car in my name, so we quietly went to sign the paperwork and get the keys. The ride to our hotel was a quiet uneventful one between Fitz and I and I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or saddened by it.

When we went inside the hotel we were met with a long line of other customers. I counted nine people ahead of us and wondered what the reason was behind it? Being in the retail business, we knew how to be patient and wait our turn. The other people in the line, however, quickly grew impatient and started making their unhappiness heard by the rest of us.

"What the hell is taking so long?" "Check in doesn't require a blood sample yet, does it?" "This is beyond ridiculous!" "We should have stayed at the Hilton." "Why don't people have their shit together when they get up to the counter?"

Those were some of the things we heard as we waited. The impatient people were making the wait unbearable, so I decided to do something about it. I tapped the cantankerous older man in line ahead of us on the shoulder and said, "Hello. Where are you from?"

He turned around and his scowl slowly changed into curiosity. He looked me up and down and must have decided I wasn't a threat. "Uhhh, we're from Michigan."

"Really? And what brings you to California?" I asked with a huge smile on my face.

"Our grandson is graduating college tomorrow."

"That's amazing! Congratulations! Which college is he graduating from?"

The man actually smiled at me. "Thank you. UCLA. He came here to study theater and is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. Kid figured if he was going to study, he wanted to be in a warm place. Now that I'm here, I can't say that I blame him."

"It's my first time visiting here too. It's so much warmer than New York." Olivia admitted with a smile. "I'm Olivia, by the way." She reached out her hand to him.

"I knew you were from the East, I just couldn't place your accent." He put the handle of his suitcase into his left hand and stretched his right one out toward her. "I'm Justin. What do you think of these lines?"

Olivia glanced up at the people still waiting. The bitching had gone to a minimum. "It's not so bad. It looks like they are doing the best they can. Some days are harder than others here, I'm sure."

"Yea, you're right. I need to just shut up and enjoy things. Sometimes the waiting is the fun part. It adds to the experience. You know what I mean?" Justin asked with a glint in his eye. He glanced over at Fitz and asked, "How long have the two of you been married?"

Olivia was taken aback from his bold question, and quickly explained, "We aren't married. We're not even a couple. We just work together."

"Oh! I'm so sorry for assuming. I hope I didn't offend either one of you?"

"It's perfectly fine." Fitz interjected. "One day someone will scoop her up though. She is a lovely person, inside and out."

Don't look at him Olivia, my brain chanted repeatedly. I couldn't believe he had just said that! It was a nice compliment, and nothing inappropriate, but still, I couldn't believe he had said the words out loud to a stranger. Shaking her head before the fog of overthinking it sunk in, I pointed to the desk and told Justin, "It's almost your turn. Just one person in front of you now."

"That was fast. I guess time passes quickly when you have someone to talk to? It was nice meeting you Olivia, and...?"

"Fitz." He supplied with a smile.

"Great name. I hope you enjoy the rest of your visit in California, Olivia."

"You too, Justin. Nice meeting you as well." I watched him step up to the counter and start talking to the man behind it.

"That was great. You got him to stop complaining and shifted his focus onto something else. Once again, I'm impressed with your people skills." Fitz said.

"Thank you. If you can get a complainer talking about anything other than what's bothering them, then ninety percent of the battle is already won. Try it." I encouraged.

Fitz looked at the few people in the second line beside them. A woman was huffing impatiently and griping about the wait. He smiled at her and said, "How are you today?"

The woman, not accustomed to a stranger talking to her replied with, "What's it to ya?"

Fitz turned back to facing forward and heard me giggling beside him. "I'm not listening to you ever again." He declared, shaking his head.

When Fitz and I finally got to the counter, I gave my name and waited for the man behind it to locate it in the computer. "Here it is." He said smiling. "Olivia Pope. Room for two."

Confused, but not yet alarmed, I politely replied, "It's just a room for one."

The harried man took his gaze from my eyes and back to his computer. "No, the reservation is a room for two adults. No children." Once again, he looked across the counter separating us and smiled at me.

"That's not possible..." I glanced at his nametag. "Mark. My secretary made my reservation weeks ago. Would you please check your computer again?" There had to be an error somewhere and I was determined to get it fixed immediately and patiently.

He smiled tightly and tapped away on the machine. "I have a reservation for two nights for an Olivia Pope. See?" He turned the monitor to face me and I read the information.

"Great. Now what about Fitzgerald Grant? He should have a reservation as well."

"I made my own reservation and have the confirmation code if that helps?" Fitz offered.

"Thank you. That does help." Fitz slid him the confirmation code and Mark typed it into his computer. A few moments later he said, "Okay, I see what happened."

"Great. So, there are two rooms now instead of the one, right?" I asked with a smile.

"No. What happened is when the reservations started piling up, Mr. Grant got bumped in with you. Accidentally it seems, because you both used the same business name. So, there is one room for both of you for two nights." He looked up at them with a smile and was met with two confused frowns. "I apologize for the inconvenience."

Mark had no idea about the magnanimous level of inconvenience he was trying to put us through! There was no way in hell Fitz and I could share a hotel room together. Not after we had already started to discover what unprofessional life together was like. And definitely not after the discussion we had just had on our flight about keeping things very professional between us. It simply couldn't happen! "This is not what we reserved and this is not what we want. We made reservations for two separate rooms for two nights and that is what we expect." I said confidently. Fitz touched my arm, probably in an effort to calm me down, but I shrugged it off quickly without looking back at him.

My mind went to what was sure to be a mortifyingly uncomfortable scenario of the two of us getting ready for bed. And the sleeping arrangements! We could not sleep in the same room together. I had imagined a lot of interesting things about Fitz doing a lot of interesting things to me and with me as he sat beside me wearing a business suit. I would surely spend two sleepless nights breathing the same air as him all through the night with just pajamas and four feet of space between us! This had to be taken care of fast.

"Unfortunately, Ms. Pope, that is not going to happen. We don't have any more rooms available for the rest of the week."

I let out a frustrated sound. "You're telling us that within this massive hotel that there isn't one single room available, no matter how expensive it may be, for the next two nights? That's what you're saying?"

Mark cleared his throat. "Yes, ma'am that is what I'm telling you. There is a large convention in town and all of our rooms are booked up for the week. In fact, you will be hard pressed to find any other hotel in the area that has two available rooms at all this week either. I'm so very sorry, but there's nothing I can do."

I looked at Fitz and he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Does the room have two beds or one?"

Mark pounded on his keyboard some more and glanced at the information in front of him. He knew they were going to be pissed off, and wouldn't that just add to his already hellish day? Instead he smiled and said, "It has one queen sized bed, Sir."

"Is there a fold out sofa in there, Mark?" I asked with bite in my voice.

He glanced back down at his monitor and brightened. "Yes, there is."

"We'll take the room. Thank you for trying, Mark. We certainly appreciate all of your help." Fitz said as he flung the company credit card onto the counter and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Fitz and I went up to our shared room, opened the door, and walked inside. The bathroom was just to the right of the door. There was a dark brown dresser with six brass drawer handles that had a huge flat screen television sitting on top of it, with the remote parked in front. The bed screamed at me loudly but I refused to look at it. The fold out sofa sat in a corner near the small window and looked much too small to hold the body of a six-foot man. The next two nights were going to be hell. "Why don't you take the right side of the dresser and I'll take the left?" Fitz offered.

I nodded mutely and pulled my suitcase onto the bed at the same time Fitz did. They bumped together and we both said, I'm sorry at the same time. The tension was already being felt between us and we had only been in the room for three minutes. Still, we started to unpack quietly and put our clothes in the dresser or hang them up in the small closet beside each other. It felt intimate to me for some reason.

I bunched up all of my panties in my hand, trying to keep them hidden from him. Naturally I only packed lace ones. They were my favorite. Later I would rationalize that just about everyone wore underwear and it shouldn't be as big a deal as I had made it out to be. But of course, I dropped a pair as I turned to put them into the ugly dresser. And of course, Fitz noticed and turned his head to see what I had dropped. He leaned down to pick whatever it was up, but when he realized what the item was, he froze and went back to his own clothing. I was beyond embarrassed and quickly picked it up and put the rest of my clothing in its place.

Fitz invited me to dinner but I declined, saying I would order room service and work. I didn't want to do either of those two things and instead planned to use his time away to shower and choose my outfit for the next day. I had never been in front of the press, and even though this would most likely be one local channel covering the news of the merger, I still wanted to look just right. I watched him leave the room from the corner of my eye while I flipped channels on the television.

As soon as he left I went through the closet and stood there debating what I should wear the next day. I couldn't help but touch his suit jacket. It was a navy pinstripe and looked really good on him. I thought back to when I had seen him in it and other thoughts jumbled up my brain. Thoughts I really shouldn't be thinking anymore. I let go of the jacket and sorted through my own clothes, settling on my outfit.

As I closed the door, I noticed the extra blankets and pillows at the top of the closet. Trying to do something nice in this ridiculous situation, I grabbed them and headed for the fold out sofa. I opened it and began making it up for Fitz. It was the least I could do for him. Besides, I was planning to take a turn on the fold out the following night. That was the fair thing to do. Once it was all made up, the pillows were fluffed, and the blanket had not a single wrinkle in it, I went into the bathroom.

After I showered, I realized that I didn't really have much to choose from in the way of pajamas that would be acceptable to wear now that I had a bunk mate. Knowing I'd have my own hotel room for this adventure, I had packed a white eyelet cotton pj set from Victoria's Secret. They were cute and comfortable and I wore them all the time. I had also packed a red silk button up shirt with matching shorts. The only other thing I had was what looked like a long t-shirt with the word BOSS written across the front. It had been a birthday gift from Sophie. I rolled my eyes at the idea of Fitz seeing me in any of the three options, even briefly. There wasn't much I could do. I shrugged my shoulders, grabbed the BOSS shirt, peed, and got under the thin blanket, vowing to myself that I wouldn't be getting out of this bed until morning.

I eventually did drag out my laptop and began looking over the layout of tomorrow's visit location. I pulled up the managers name and picture and got a better sense of the store itself and how it was run. I was just finishing up my search when I heard the door open. I started to get out of bed to make sure it was Fitz, but remembered what I was wearing and stayed put. Instead I called out, "Fitz? That you?"

He stepped into the room and cocked his head to the side. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"No. Sorry. How was dinner?" I was trying to make conversation knowing I was severely under dressed.

He threw his key card on the small round table and said, "Quiet. But it was okay. What did you end up eating?"

"I didn't really get around to it. I'll hit up the continental breakfast downstairs in the morning." I admitted.

He frowned and asked, "I could order something up for you? Or run back out and grab you whatever you'd like? It's no trouble at all."

He was being very sweet, but I smiled and told him, "I'm not really hungry tonight. But thank you for offering."

His eyes fell on the made up sofa and he gestured to it and asked, "Did you do that?"

"Yea, I thought it was the least I could do under the circumstances. I'll take the sofa tomorrow night so you can sleep in a bed. It's only fair."

"Thank you for that. It's nice. But I'll keep the sofa and you keep the bed. I'll be fine." He looked around the small confines of our room and said, "I'm going to get changed for bed. Is it going to bother you if I turn on the television for a while? I'd like to check the scores before I fall out."

I shrugged. "Not at all. It's still pretty early. Maybe I'll watch with you for a bit?"

He emerged from the bathroom wearing his University of Chicago sweats and a t-shirt. He was also bare footed and I took my time staring at his very long feet. They were huge and he had to wear shoes larger than a twelve. It made sense and added to my theory that he was packing between his legs. Not that I should be thinking about that anymore. Dammit!

"The television swivels if you want to turn it towards you." I explained, still looking at his feet and hating myself for being fixated on them.

"I thought you were going to watch with me for a little while?" He asked.

"I'm pretty tired. We have a big day tomorrow. Meet the press and all that." I chuckled. "Besides, I'll still be able to see the screen even if you turn it. Make yourself as comfortable as you can."

He stood up and adjusted the screen to face towards him while I stared at his feet some more. I knew myself well enough to know that I would be checking out his shoes the next time he was out of the room for what size they were. I laid down on my side so I could see the tv and watched Fitz crawl onto the short sofa. Poor guy, he really was way too big to fit on it but he laid down on his pillow and, of course, his feet stuck out at least six inches from the edge. They stared at me until I eventually fell asleep much later and dreamed about them.

 **Fitz's POV**

What an absolutely insane day this has been!

A morning run outside. trying to get ready for this major day in a shared small space with a woman I have feelings for but am trying to shove them down into the depths of my toes. The pressure of performing like a trained monkey to impress my boss in front of the press to advance my career. Making sure I'm dressed perfectly so that I look the part to impress said boss. Nonstop running around to buy snacks, get breakfast – because the continental one at the hotel didn't offer anything of interest to either one of us. Checking and re-checking my suit for lint. And that was all before nine a.m.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The morning started out bright and early. Typically, I shower in the morning after I've had my run and today was going to be no exception. I had noticed that Olivia had showered last night while I was out at dinner so I didn't think it would be a problem. That assumption was one of many mistakes that morning.

I woke up earlier than she did and my back was killing me from sleeping on that tiny fucking army cot they called a sofa. The mattress was about as thick as a towel and I felt every single metal rod and spring on my back. I hoped my run would work out all of the kinks because it was going to be a long day.

I glanced over at the big comfy bed and noticed that Olivia was still asleep, so I got up as quietly as I could. The springs creaked some, and she stirred, but that was about it. I stretched my back once I was standing and looked to make sure she was truly still asleep. That was a mistake.

Olivia was laying on her stomach, eyes closed, with her hands folded underneath her pillow. Her hair was hanging loosely around her cheek, covering part of her face. She had no make-up on, no cares in the world, and was sleeping like a rock. She was absolutely beautiful.

Once I tore my gaze from her flawless face, I saw part of her leg sticking out from the sheet. I cocked my head to the side and surmised that Olivia must be wearing some type of long shirt. Her creamy cocoa leg and thigh were fully exposed as the shirt rode high on her hip. In fact, I could see pink lace on her narrow hip and part of her nicely shaped ass. I raised my eyebrows at the delectable sight in front of me as my eyes roamed her uncovered flesh. My fingers itched to touch her, but I refrained. Barely. I immediately felt like a pervert for looking at her while she slept and quickly went into the bathroom to relieve my bladder.

I quickly and quietly changed into shorts and slipped on my running shoes. I grabbed my keycard and phone and headed outside. I needed to get my head clear of her again. Jesus. This was becoming a bad habit added onto a good one. I ran forever it seemed, pushing myself harder than I had in a long time. I did a good job of keeping her out of my mind as details of this busy day ahead filled it instead.

As I went over my checklist, my feet pounded the pavement of the road and my breathing became ragged. The muscles in my legs were strained but I continued the course I had set for myself. I would kill for a cold bottle of water right now. I could feel my hair becoming heavy and matted with sweat and I wished I had taken the time over the past few days to get a haircut. Oh well. I'd get to it after the hoopla of today was over.

I turned around and made my way back to the hotel, squinting as the rising sun hit me in the eyes. Damn, in my rush to get away from sleeping beauty with the pink lace, I had forgotten my sunglasses. The music coming from my earbuds was soothing classical. It wasn't exactly music to run to, but it did keep me calm as the heat from the sun started to bear down on me. I'd have to get up even earlier tomorrow to prevent it from happening again.

I dashed into a convenience store near the hotel, grabbed a bottle of water, paid for it, and finished my run back to my starting point. I rode the elevator up to our floor alone and emptied the water bottle in the process. Thoughts of a scalding hot shower pounding on my aching muscles made me wish the metal box would move faster.

I let myself into our room and quietly shut the door behind me. I glanced around the partial wall to see that Olivia was not in bed anymore. The bathroom door was open and she wasn't there either. I guessed she had gone downstairs to get breakfast like she declared she intended to last night. I grabbed a clean pair of boxer briefs and a white t-shirt and went into the bathroom.

Five minutes into my shower, I was singing happily as I lathered up my lean body and then rinsed it off. I had just poured some shampoo into my wet hair when I heard a knock on the bathroom door. My eyes darted around the shower, wondering why she was already back and what she wanted. "Yea?" I called out.

"I'm sorry to bother you while you're in the shower, but I wanted you to know that the continental breakfast downstairs is complete shit. We're going to have to get breakfast somewhere else before we get to the store. Hurry up! I need to pee and put on my make-up."

Fuck. There wasn't time in their schedule for breakfast elsewhere. And why hadn't she peed while she was downstairs? I shook my head a few times and said, "Okay. I'll be right out." One more night to go, I told myself as I rinsed my hair and turned off the water.

I dried myself off, brushed my teeth, and then put on my underclothes. I wrapped a towel around my waist and stepped into the room. Olivia had made the bed as well as the sofa from hell, and was putting earrings into her ears while looking in the full length mirror. She smiled when she saw me and I noticed that her eyes traveled to my center where they parked for a moment before she went back to her earrings. Right back atcha, pink panties I thought to myself with a smile in her direction.

I got dressed in the bigger room while Olivia brushed her teeth in the bathroom with the door closed. Sharing a room with her wasn't so bad. We seemed to move around each other like an old married couple. Wrong phrase, I chided myself and concentrated on knotting my tie in the mirror she had just been using. I looked at my reflection and was satisfied with what looked back at me. Besides needing a damned haircut.

Olivia came out of the bathroom and looked at me. "You look nice. Very professional. The camera will love you. Just don't stumble over your words like you do when you are talking to the employees. Be confident in what you have to say. Take a moment if you need to and then just...speak. It'll be great."

"Jesus. I wasn't nervous, but I am now." Fitz admitted, and straightened his tie for the fourth time.

Olivia slapped my hands away from the blue tie that brought out the brilliance of my eyes and turned me around to face her. "There is nothing to be nervous about. You are the regional manager of a fantastic company. Your fantastic company is merging with another fantastic company. That's all. They will probably ask you five or six questions, but after it's edited and aired, you'll be lucky to get seen more than twenty seconds on television."

"How do you know that? Abby said it was going to be a big deal."

"Well, the people you work with and the people I work with like to make mountains out of molehills. Their record speaks for itself, don't you think, Mr. Grant?" She smiled up at me and I stared at her plump lips for longer than was necessary. I was tempted to kiss her right then and there. She was right about all of it and I felt foolish to have given in to their mind games. After gazing at her lips a moment longer, I grabbed my jacket from the closet.

Once it was on, my gaze returned to her eyes and I smiled back at her. "You're right, Miss Pope. Thank you for the straight talk to calm me down. We've got this."

Her stomach rumbled loudly and Olivia's eyes went wide with embarrassment as her hands automatically covered it.

"Let's go get some breakfast before you die of starvation. Pick where you want to go, because as you know, anywhere is fine with me." She rolled her eyes at me in response and grabbed her purse before heading for the door.

Before we had gotten out of the room, however, my phone chimed from the pocket of my dress pants. I retrieved it and read the text from Abby.

 _The press won't be able to talk to the two of you until after you're done inside the store. There's a fire or something that takes precedence. Make it good, Grant_!

"Well, that's great." I mumbled. When Olivia asked me what the matter was, I explained the situation to her.

"That's actually better because we can take care of business inside without a fuss from the employees thinking we are better than them from having just come from talking to the paparazzi." When I scrunched my face at her, she added, "People think like that! Besides, we will be able to just come back here when we're done. It'll be easier. You'll see."

After breakfast, the two of us went into a grocery store and instead of cookies and the typical crap we had been buying, I opted to buy breakfast foods. Doughnuts and cinnamon rolls with a few gallons of orange juice. When Olivia looked at me strangely I said, "It's a big day and we are going to be there earlier than our normal stops. Breakfast food seems appropriate."

We finished our visit with the employees inside the store and were carrying our few items back out to the car when we saw the three news vans in the parking lot. Once our stuff was back in the car, we gave each other one more inspection while standing by the car. Olivia was giving me a pep talk as we slowly walked toward the small group and I could feel my confidence building. I asked her if she would consider working the team building circuit, but she informed me that she had done that before. I called her an overachiever and she laughed at me.

"Seems we have more than we bargained for here today?" I remarked calmly, surprising myself a little.

"We do work for two large toy companies. It's bound to be big news everywhere. It's no big deal though. We've got this." She stated confidently.

"You ready?" I asked.

"Born ready."

"Let's go get it over with then."

We finally reached the cluster of camera men and on location reporters who were standing outside their vehicles waiting for our arrival. I stretched out my hand and introduced us. "Hello. I'm Fitzgerald Grant and this is Olivia Pope." All eight of us shook hands and made small talk before they explained how they would handle the short interviews, that they wouldn't be live, and how they wanted both of us to be interviewed together for each outlet. We agreed and even got a peek at their questions, which relaxed me tremendously.

They set up their equipment not too far apart from each other and the interviews began. All three basically went the same way with practically the same questions. I felt relaxed and confident in my answers, trying to keep them short and to the point without coming off as asshole-ish. By the time we got to the last interview, I was almost on cruise control with my answers.

"I have Olivia Pope and Fitzgerald Grant with me to talk about the merger that was announced yesterday afternoon between The Toy Box and Toy Land. What major changes can consumers expect now that your two companies have merged together?"

Olivia smiled and answered beautifully. "There will possibly be a new name, as when any two companies come together, Susan. But the same great customer service remains in place both personally in our stores and to our online shoppers."

"What exactly is the purpose of the road trip the two of you are on right now?"

I took that one. "We were hand picked by our superiors to travel to specific branches in California to discuss with the employees and management alike about what they can expect as well as answer any questions they may have."

"Isn't this job a bit below your pay grade? To go on a road trip?"

"Actually, being out on the road has been amazing. We have met so many great people and heard some fantastic stories from our employees. It's good to stay grounded and connect with the people who are seen day in and day out by our customers. They are our most valuable asset." Olivia explained.

"And what has been the reactions of the employees you both have talked to?"

"There is some fear, and I think that's normal when something major happens at work. Change is scary. My first reaction when I heard the news was pretty similar to those we are dealing with. Our job is to give every employee a chance to voice their fears and concerns and get them answers they need to feel confident in the jobs they do." Olivia replied.

"How about you, Mr. Grant? What was your reaction to the news of this merger?"

"I was surprised, to say the least. This road trip has been just as beneficial to us as it has been to the employees we talk to." Olivia nodded in agreement beside me. "To know that my own reaction is similar to the people we are talking to is such an encouragement. It doesn't matter if we work at the store level or in the corporate office, a merger like this affects all of us and we need to help each other through it."

Olivia gently touched my back and it felt like encouragement. It was the best feeling in the world in that moment.

"There you have it folks. From bottom to top, the merger between The Toy Box and Toy Land has an impact on every employee and both companies are working together to make the transition easier for everyone involved. Other companies are taking notice of how this is being handled should their companies face a merger in the future. We will be following this story over the next few weeks. For Channel seven, this is Susan Robertson."

The cameraman yelled "cut" and the camera was lowered and taken to the van and packed away. Susan shook our hand and thanked us for taking the time to talk to her, just as the other two reporters had. We thanked her for her time and watched them drive off.

Olivia and I went back to our car and climbed into our seats quietly. There was something in the air, but I couldn't explain it, nor was I about to ruin it with talking. The short interviews had gone amazingly well and we were feeling pretty proud of ourselves with the way we had handled it. We both seemed to be lost in our own proud thoughts as we drove back to the hotel. Every so often I would look over at Olivia and see her smiling really big at me. Or she would catch me smiling really big at her. It was the oddest thing.

My phone rang and I thought about letting it go to voicemail. I really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. But I pulled it out of my pocket and saw that it was Abby and answered it. "Hello, Abby."

"Hello yourself. How did it go with the news people? It won't air until tonight and I can't wait to find out all about it."

About that time, Olivia's phone rang too and she answered it. She looked over at me and mouthed the word 'Cyrus' and began a similar conversation with him. We answered their questions, calmed their worries, and after they warned that they would call back after the news aired, the calls were ended. We put our phones away and the excited quiet came back between us.

When we reached the hotel, she parked the car and we immediately got out and calmly and quietly walked inside. We got on the elevator with three other people but made no conversation with them. The weird feeling was back in the air as we walked towards the door of our little shared room.

Olivia slid the key card in and out and when the green light flashed I opened the door, took her hand, and said, "I need to talk to you."

She let go of my hand and jumped into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist, and said, "We're gonna do a lot more than talk." I carried her inside, shutting and locking the door behind us as we attacked each other's mouths.


	10. Get Closer

**Get Closer**

 **Fitz's POV**  
I kicked the door closed with my foot and let go of Olivia's hip long enough to lock the door behind us. Our lips were still fused together as if the deepest and darkest mysteries of the world could only be found there. That was partially true in my opinion.

She pulled away from me for a moment and picked up her purse from the floor. I couldn't stop the frustrated words as they flew out of my mouth. "What the hell are you doing?"

She grabbed her cell phone, pushed the button on the side, and then turned her attention back to me. "I'm turning off my phone because I don't want any interruptions. You should do the same. It's gonna be a long night."

I found it interesting that she had read my mind about it being a long night, and had thought clearly enough to think about turning our phones off. It was a good idea. I reached inside my jacket and turned the device off and threw it on the small table.

Once the phones were off and forgotten once again, I concentrated on her. I wanted Olivia desperately, but didn't want to rush a second of it. I wanted to enjoy discovering every little thing that made her sigh and scream, and everything in between. If I was going to lose my job on my way to hell, I wanted the trip to be well worth the price.

I picked her back up and gently pushed her up against the closest wall with her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. My hands had started out on her hips, but given the opportunity, they hadn't been able to resist gripping her shapely ass. I gazed into her deep brown eyes and she stared back at me. I wanted to make sure that she really wanted this and had thought about the repercussions that would surely come later. Her eyes flicked back and forth between my eyes and she nodded slightly at me before tilting her head, licking her lips, and moving her head closer to mine.

I met her the rest of the way and brushed my lips over hers in the softest kiss I had ever experienced. I cracked my eyes open and found her brown ones looking back at me. Apparently, she didn't want to miss anything either. Determined to make sure neither one of us missed anything, I slowly set her down on her feet and pulled away from her lips. Olivia whined from the broken contact. As cute as it was, I planned on bringing that and many other noises from her before the night was over.

Not being animalistic, but not being the most patient man either, I reached my anxious hands to the top of her lilac colored blouse. Slowly and methodically I opened the first button and flicked my gaze up at her. She pushed her chest out a little further, making the remaining buttons strained and shot me a defiant look.

I had no idea what she liked or what she was into, but I was going to enjoy every moment of learning. Keeping my eyes on hers, my hands slid down her sides, gripped her blouse, and abruptly jerked it up from the tucked position inside the waistband of her black dress pants. No more strained buttons. As her face registered surprise, I shot her a defiant smirk. Olivia put her hands on her hips, in a type of Superman pose, and raised one eyebrow at me. Challenging me.

Always up for a challenge, I grinned at her and my fingers went to the second button. I flicked it open effortlessly, followed by the third. I caught a glimpse of pink lace and my grin grew wider as my erection grew harder. I couldn't contain the "Mmmmm" that escaped my throat in appreciation of her matching unmentionables. The rest of the buttons were opened quickly, and Olivia stood there with her purple silk blouse hanging open and her hands on her hips. My eyes took a moment to unabashedly roam her perfectly smooth skin and perky lace covered breasts. She looked fucking delectable!

I got down on one knee in front of her and watched the confusion cross her face. I tapped on her right ankle, but still she looked down at me, not understanding. I tapped on her ankle once more with raised eyebrows and watched realization cross her features. She put a hand on my shoulder and lifted her right foot with a small smile on her face. I took off her black heel and gently set it on the floor, repeating the process with her left foot without incident.

Once her shoes were out of the way, I gently put my hands on her waist and brought my lips to the firm perfect skin just above her bellybutton. Her stomach muscles flinched at my touch, but soon calmed as I continued pressing my lips to every inch of her exposed mocha skin. As my mouth began its curious exploration upward, Olivia put her hands in my hair and began massaging my scalp.

Finally, I was eye level with her pink lace covered treasures. I tilted my head back to look into her eyes, not wanting to do anything she didn't want me to. The quiet in the hotel room from the lack of words between us accentuated her every breath. Apparently, Olivia was enjoying the quiet as well, because silently she brought her arms up in front of her, grasped the open edges of her blouse, and slid it off her shoulders. It pooled at the floor behind her. That was all the go ahead I needed.

As I moved my hands unhurriedly to her back to unhook her bra, freeing its round hostages, Olivia grabbed a fistful of the front of my shirt and brought me to my feet. Finally, her voice, full of authority, broke the silence. "You have on too many clothes." How she made that sound sexy is still a mystery to me.

Her voice echoed through the room. Trying to comply with her observation, I brought my hands up to take off my jacket, but they were slapped away by two much smaller ones. I tilted my head to the right and watched her take a step closer to me. She slipped her hands onto my shoulders, but under my jacket, and pushed it onto the floor to join her blouse.

It appeared Olivia wanted some hands-on experience of her own. I watched her face as she brought my right hand between us and opened the button at my wrist, and then the one on my left wrist. As she finished the smaller buttons there, my hands gravitated to her waist. I had to touch her. I couldn't keep my hands off of her. She reached her tiny hands up and pulled my tie loose and then off, flinging it to the floor. And then she began undoing the buttons down the front of my shirt. After the fourth one, she was easily opening them one handed and her left hand reached around my body and gripped my ass, all while she kept eye contact with me. Now it was my turn to be breathing hard. This simple act I performed every single day had turned into one of the sexiest things ever.

She pushed my dress shirt off of my shoulders and then pulled my white t-shirt up and over my head quickly. I don't know what kind of reaction I was expecting, but the expression on her face was ten times better than anything I had conjured in my wildest thoughts. Olivia looked like she was in a momentary trance, and then her hands came up and splayed out between us. Very slowly, almost nervously, she moved them in my direction until they softly landed on my chest. She moaned lightly as her fingers roamed my chest and abs.

I'd almost be happy letting her do this all night. Almost.

"Are you okay?" I asked, slightly amused.

"Don't ever stop running. Your chest is," her nimble fingers continued their exploration. "fuuuuuck" she whispered reverently, before licking her lips while I waited to hear what it was. "Perfect."

Her hands reluctantly traveled down to my belt which she swiftly unbuckled. There was no way in hell I was going to let her spend near as much time down south as she had at my chest. I would come in an instant. She squatted in front of me, having no interest in looking up at my face any longer. She looked like a kid in a candy store and I planned to give her whatever she wanted. Still, I looked down, completely aroused as she eagerly pulled my zipper down. She hesitated and balled her hands into fists and then quickly opened them, and then balled them again. She was nervous it seemed. I smiled at the revelation and waited to see what her next move was.

After a minute of watching her continually tighten and open her fists, I toed off my dress shoes and kicked them away. That seemed to stir her out of her fog and her hands stilled momentarily before she gripped my pants at the hips and tugged them down my long legs. But Olivia wasn't paying attention to my pants. Her eyes were glued to the bulge that was tenting my boxer briefs. Her eyes were wide, just like her mouth and I had wicked thoughts of stuffing her mouth with my engorged length.

Before I could think about that any further though, Olivia yanked down my briefs and started stroking my length. Taken completely by surprise by her bold move, all I could do was stand there and watch her small hands work and groan at the amazing feeling. I made the mistake of throwing my head back and closing my eyes, trying like hell to just enjoy the moment. That was when I felt her warm mouth surround the tip as her hand continued its ruthless rhythm on the base.

"Fuck me!" I groaned out loudly. She truly had a magical mouth and while it felt more amazing than I had ever imagined and didn't want it to end, I also didn't want her to feel obligated to finish the job. I looked down at her and saw her watching me as my hips seemed to be in disagreement with my mind and moved in time. She took more of me into her mouth. "If you...keep that up..." I hissed out a breath. "I'm not gonna be...fuck! be able tooooo...Stop. Olivia!"

She held onto my hips, answered with a negative sound, and continued with her work. The vibrations from her throaty answer pushed me closer to the edge. I put my hands on both sides of her head and my hips picked up the pace a little. There was no way she could take all of my length, but she did a damned good job with what she did handle. "Feels so good" I panted out.

Moments later, I was breathing hard and choked out, "almost there." I held back as long as I could. I really did. It wasn't much longer that I was breathlessly warning her, "I'm about to...to...Ahhhhhh, fuck!" I held her head still as my body shuddered and emptied into her mouth while my chest heaved.

I stepped out of my pants and underwear while she wiped the edge of her mouth and smiled proudly to herself. I caught the moment but said nothing, and returned the favor by pulling her up to her feet. Her eyes met mine once again and she warned, "I always finish what I start."

"I'll keep that in mind." I replied with a smile of my own. She closed her mouth when she saw my smile. I put my hand at the back of her head and brought her mouth to mine for more heated kisses. Every ounce of our hungry anticipation came through in the kiss. Olivia put her arms around my back and the more the kiss intensified, the more she clawed it with her nails. I ended the kiss before she drew blood and told her plainly, "Now you have on too many clothes."

"Do you want to remedy that? Or should I?" She asked defiantly with her hand back on her hip.

"You couldn't keep me from remedying it." I informed her in a low authoritative voice. I hooked my finger into the front of her pants and pulled her none too gently towards me. The gasp that escaped her lips let me know Olivia was more surprised than fearful by my actions. That was very interesting to me. I decided to push it a little and see exactly where her boundaries were. "Turn around." She didn't hesitate, and complied with my demand.

I pulled the hair on her shoulder out of the way and leaned down into her neck, running my tongue along the column of it. She immediately craned her neck in the opposite direction, granting me access to all of the tender perfumed skin there, and brought her arm up and around to the back of my head. I began kissing her neck, which led to me sucking on it. Not hard enough to leave a mark, but enough to learn that it was a sweet spot for her because she melted into my arms.

My hands traveled very slowly down her sides, across her flat stomach, and over the tops of her thighs. She quivered while I touched her partially dressed body and I couldn't wait to get her all the way unwrapped and really get her writhing with need. My large hands slid to her inner thighs and I took my time running them up and down while still playing in her neck. The moment my fingers grazed her center Olivia let out an inhuman noise and ground her ass into my crotch. Her remaining clothes had to go!

I brought my hands up to the top of her pants, opening the button and pulling down the zipper. Instead of rushing to get her pants off, I flattened my hand against her belly and slid it down inside of her panties to see just what kind of effect I was having on her. When I felt the moisture between her thighs I groaned loudly and something in me snapped.

I growled and spun her around, squatting in front of her, and hastily tugged her pants down with a determined look on my face. When I got them off, I looked up at Olivia's face and noted with great satisfaction that she was still watching me. Alternating legs, I kissed my way back up to her face where I devoured her mouth hungrily. I felt her arms go around my neck, and as our mouths stayed fused together, I reached behind her and unhooked her bra. Done with the patient thing, I picked her up and carried Olivia to bed.

I laid her down and she looked up at me boldly, waiting for my next move, with a sly smile on her face. She raised her arms above her head, letting them fall on her pillow, and bent one of her legs at the knee. Her confidence with her body was incredibly sexy.

Again, I let my eyes roam her seemingly flawless body and the desire I felt was painful. I wanted nothing more than to have our bodies immediately and intimately connected until the early morning hour with Olivia begging me to stop and let her rest. But I also wanted her to enjoy our time together and think of it every waking minute of every day. I was setting the bar pretty high for myself, and I was determined to deliver.

I put my knee on the bottom of the bed and slowly crawled my way up to her, stopping now and then to lick and nibble on her skin. Her inner thigh, her hip, her stomach. I moved up a few inches and found myself hovering over her breasts. I stuck my tongue out and lazily dragged it across her soft bud. I picked up my head a few inches and blew on it, watching as it stood at attention, beckoning me. I licked my lips and latched onto it with great fervor. Olivia inhaled sharply, arched her back, and grabbed the back of my head at the same time.

I grabbed her hand and interlocked our fingers as I continued to lick, suck, and gently bite on her nipple. She writhed under my body and it drove me to continue my feast. I moved my head to the other one, lavishing the same mix of gentle and aggressive attention. She was panting and gripping my hand hard as I continued my assault on her body.

Wanting to see how much higher I could drive her, I released her nipple and got on my knees and concentrated on getting rid of the last small piece of pink lace. I roughly pulled the tiny barrier down her legs and dropped it somewhere. I took a moment to admire her gorgeous, firm, little body. I bent her other leg at the knee, opened them wide, and settled myself between her legs on my belly. I gazed up at her and heard Olivia seductively say, "Let's see what you can do."

I had her screaming, swearing, pulling my hair, and breathlessly begging for more in no time. I lost count of how many times I made her shatter, but I definitely enjoyed each and every one of them. As did she. Now she was breathing heavily, and pulled me up to face her. Before I moved though, I rolled on a condom. I rested my weight on my forearms while she got herself under control, and pushed sweaty hair from her face. Her hair was tousled, her lips were swollen, and her eyes were shut. She was more beautiful like this than the put together Olivia Pope I had worked alongside for the past few weeks.

I looked down at her angelic face. The beautiful one that had the devil in her eyes when they were opened. I couldn't resist and leaned down to kiss her again, pouring the emotional high I was feeling into it as she reciprocated. Her legs once again came around my waist and held me prisoner in the place that I was rapidly growing very fond of. The moment she started to open her eyes to look at me, in the middle of the kiss, I slipped inside her wet heat and watched them pop wide open.

 **Olivia's POV**  
"Oh GOD!" I exclaimed loudly as I immediately gripped his back.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he slowed down his movements.

"I'm fine. It's ahhhh, just a lot." I admitted. "And you took me by surprise."

"Do you need me to stop for a minute?" He was looking down at me with concerned eyes. It was the sweetest thing.

"No!" I said too quickly and loud. " I'm fine now." You're fine, I thought to myself.

This man knew what he was doing on every level! He was a master of seduction during foreplay and his body was nothing short of amazing. He kept his attention on me and made sure I was comfortable with everything he was doing. The words he didn't speak, but conveyed with his eyes, spoke volumes. He was a complete gentleman and not an animal trying to just get his. But I had suspected that about him beforehand anyway.

Who knew quiet, professional, stick up his ass Fitzgerald Grant was packing that massive gift to womankind he was currently sliding in and out of me? I had my suspicions, but even they weren't close in comparison. I held onto his back and reveled in the glorious feeling of it.

Fitz kept his eyes on mine and smiled. He brushed a strand of my hair away from my face and said, "You are so beautiful. Stunning, really."

I smiled at the compliment. "You are sexy as hell." I replied boldly, earning a chuckle from him. I brought a hand to the back of his head, and brought him down for more kisses. He tore his lips away from mine and made his way into my neck again. He had discovered that spot rather quickly earlier and as he sucked on the skin there it made my pelvis grind harder with his and my breaths quicker. I grabbed a handful of his hair and held him in my neck while my lower half picked up the pace while trying to stave off my orgasm at the same time.

He lifted his head and grinned at me before disappearing back into my neck to continue his sweet torture. He was already playing my body like a well tuned instrument in spite of it being our first time together. He was driving me higher and all I could do was take it. I started mewling and arched my back, trying to get even closer to him somehow.

He kissed his way down my neck and I was panting now, feeling the heat from the tiny fires his mouth was blazing across my skin. He stopped above my breast and spared me a quick glance. I watched him lick his lips and swallow my stiff nipple into his mouth. I ground my hips into him some more and moved them even faster.

"Ahhhhhhh" and "Ooooh" were the only sounds I could get out. Words escaped my brain, and even if I could remember any I couldn't speak them. He released my skin from his mouth. His brow had a sheen of sweat on it and as my eyes traveled slightly lower, I saw determination on his face. I focused my energy on the skin slapping pace we had now created. Before things got completely out of control, I couldn't resist reaching a hand down and grabbing his bare ass. It felt like pure muscle and I groaned loudly as I pushed him to meet my center again and again.

He swiveled his narrow hips a few times and I inhaled sharply at the feeling. I couldn't stop the begging words that came from my lips. "Please...Ohhhhh...Yes...Please!"

"You like that, Liv? Feels so good, doesn't it?" He panted out as his hips continued to build me up to another orgasm. "You want more of it? "

I nodded silently and tried like hell to keep the orgasm at bay.

"Tell me."

I was really concentrating here and he was asking me to beg him to do something. Had he lost his mind? I cracked open my eyes and looked up into his ocean blue eyes. I could easily get lost in them.

"Say the words, Liv. I...shit..." He said as his chest heaved. "I know you're holding back. I can't hold on much longer either. Say the fucking words. NOW!"

"More! More! More!" I chanted loudly as I clawed his back and wondered why it was so sexy that he was talking to me like that.

He gave me more. He pounded into me while his hips alternated between hammering into me and making big circles, like a man on a mission and he was hitting my spot repeatedly. Fitz dipped his head into my neck and went back to licking and sucking on my neck. I was losing my grasp quickly and shut my eyes tightly as my own hips moved in time with his.

He must have realized somehow that I was dangerously close to exploding, because he lifted his head from my neck and spoke to me. "Open your eyes." His baritone voice commanded. I complied and it was the first step in my undoing. "Let go, Liv."

I released my breath and felt the tension at its peak as my face contorted with the all consuming pleasure I was feeling. As I let go, I chanted, "Fitz, Fitz, Fitz." He leaned down and fused his lips to mine in a fierce kiss as I tried to breathe through my orgasm and get closer to him somehow.

Fitz broke the kiss suddenly and thrust his hips a few more times until, grunting, his body stilled as it emptied. He immediately rolled off of me and gasped for breath beside me on the bed. After a few moments, he stood up and semi-staggered into the bathroom. I heard water running and then he returned to the bed with a washcloth in his hand. He passed it to me and I cleaned myself up.

He flopped down on his back beside me with a huge satisfied smile on his face. "That. Was amazing. Better than I imagined, and I have a fantastic imagination."

I smiled at his use of my new nickname and the fact that he had imagined us having sex before. It took the guilt off my conscious for thinking the same thing. I turned my head to look at him. "I know exactly what you mean."

He rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his hand, still breathing hard. "You've thought about us having sex before?"

"Most definitely."

"I've spent hours on end thinking about it. Every time we went into a new hotel room, I imagined pulling you into my room and having my way with you."

"You did not!" I giggled.

"Oh, but I did." He said grinning before he leaned over and kissed me sweetly.

I pushed his growing curls off of his forehead and admitted the truth to him. "I have thought about you like this more than I should on this trip, but last night definitely had my imagination in overdrive. Knowing you were lying just a few feet away from me really played on my mind. I stared at your feet while you watched tv and wondered about the size of your shoes."

He laughed heartily beside me and I found myself grinning in spite of myself. He had the best laugh I had ever heard and it was so infectious. He quickly pressed his lips to mind and pulled away just as quickly. "Is this truth time? Is that what we're doing right now?"

I copied his pose and propped my head up on my palm as well. "You have something that you need to get off your conscience? Is that what's going on here?" I asked with a grin.

"There might be a thing." He said playfully.

"Really? What kind of thing? I think I need to hear about this thing."

"Alright, but before I tell it to you I'm going to need a kiss. For courage." He leaned over me with his playful smile still on his ridiculously handsome face and whispered, "Can I have a kiss for courage? Please?"

I put my hand on his cheek but pretended to think it over as his face came closer to mine. "I mean, since it's for courage." I whispered. He pressed his soft lips to mine and our tongues quickly started dancing together. He started to run his hand up my side and that's when I ended the kiss. "You didn't say anything about groping me for courage. You said a kiss."

"I can't help it. You make me want more of you." I looked at him for signs of humor but found none.

"Let's hear this thing and see how serious it is first." I already wanted him to kiss me again.

Now he did smile at me. He looked...shy? I listened to his admission. "Early this morning when I woke up you were passed out on this very comfortable bed I might add."

"You're not getting sympathy from me until I hear it. Let's get it over with." I said with a smile.

"Okay. Your leg was sticking out from under the blankets and I saw pink lace staring up at me. I might have looked longer than necessary, but I just can't remember right now. You have a great ass by the way. And as much as I love the pink panties, I'm partial to the peach ones that fell on the floor when we were unpacking."

I fell on my back and covered up my face with both my hands and giggled. A moment later, I felt his much larger hands peel mine away and he looked down at me. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Liv. We're adults who just saw a whole lot more of each other than our underwear. In fact, I want to see more of you now."

"You have a quick bounce back time. I like that about you." I said seductively.

"Mmmm, I'll give you all the credit for that." he replied and sat up, bringing me with him and setting me on his lap. "Kiss me."

I immediately attached my lips to his in a passionate kiss as I wound my arms around his neck. Fitz put his hands on my hips and guided me onto his growing length. I groaned into his mouth and once again marveled at the spectacular full feeling inside my body.

He began to move and I tore my lips from his and threw my head back as pleasure speared through my very pores. One of his hands went to my lower back and the other one went to my neck. Feeling supported, I leaned back a little further from him, putting my hands on his knees, as he held my body and moved in and out of me. "You are so beautiful like this. Carefree and enjoying yourself completely."

I sat back up and looked at him, not able to contain the smile on my face. "I'll give you all the credit for that. I am completely enjoying myself right now." I ran my hand over his amazing chest as he kissed me again and moved his hips a little faster.

Once again, he got into my neck and I marveled at the delicious aching tension he was already quickly building within me. My body responded to Fitz faster than it had with any other man before him. I bit my lip as he dragged his tongue down the column of my neck and I slipped my arm under and around his shoulder, gripping it hard. I was moments away from imploding and instead of trying to hold it back, I was anxious for it. My breathing became labored and couldn't stop the moans that tumbled from my mouth. I closed my eyes, reveled in the sensation and waited for it.

Fitz noticed the changed look on my face and quickened his thrusts. "Fuck, Liv." He groaned out as his body increased its vicious pace. "Can't...get there...fast...enough."

I held him impossibly close and whispered in his ear in a strained panting voice. "Feels soooo...good" I needed something to drink. My throat felt drier than a desert. Still, I licked my lips and urged him on. "Hurry". The last word came out more of a moan than anything else.

We both exploded together and the curses and sighs mixed together with our sweat and satisfaction. I dropped my head on his shoulder like a rock and my body slumped heavily. Fitz gently held onto me, brought us back down to the mattress, and pulled away from me.

He went back into the bathroom and handed me another face cloth, which I haphazardly used. I had no energy. My thighs felt like jello. My lady parts felt like they had been stretched beyond capacity. My lungs were on fire from dragging air in and out of them. And I was beyond exhausted. I lay lifeless on the tangled sheet covered mattress trying to remember how to breathe.

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep I heard Fitz clear his throat and cracked my eyes open to see a chilled bottle of water in my face. I mustered the strength to sit up, twisted the lid off the cold plastic bottle, and took a very long pull from it. I only released my lips from the top of it to take in a few more breaths and to look up at Fitz. He was standing gloriously naked in front of me, looking very proud of himself and drinking from his own bottle of water. "Thank you" I creaked out.

"You're welcome. I assumed your throat was as dry as mine."

I nodded mutely and watched him take another long drink of his chilled drink. His Adam's apple bobbled repeatedly as he swallowed and I felt a familiar stirring inside me. Horrified that such a simple act could turn me on and knowing I didn't have the strength to do anything about it, I looked away from him and concentrated on drinking my own water.

When the bottle was empty, Fitz took it from my hand and threw them away. He picked me up and set me on the couch. I was about to protest at his attempts at sex again so quickly, but instead of instigating something, he walked away from me and back to the bed. He pulled the sheets off and threw them in a corner of the room. He went to the closet and grabbed the spare set and began making the bed.

Who the hell was this guy and where had he been all my life?

Once he had the sheets in place and the thin blanket spread out, he came back to me. He smiled and picked me up in his arms, carrying me to the fresh comfortable sheets. As soon as he laid me down I was halfway asleep already. Fitz crawled into the bed beside me and I cuddled into his side when he put his arm under my head. He kissed my temple and the last thing I heard him say was, "Get some sleep, Liv. I'm not done with you yet."

My eyes wanted to pop open in shock, but it never happened. I was out like a light.

I was being woken up five minutes later by two large hands caressing my skin and someone's lips kissing my neck. He couldn't be serious. I had barely closed my eyes and he was already starting again? It was bad enough that three minutes earlier he had prodded me from sleep for more of our earlier activities, claiming a need for more. He was insatiable! I had to talk to him about respecting my sleep. I reminded myself to not look into his pretty blue eyes while I did so.

I weakly pushed his hand off of my ass. "Fiiiiiiiitz. Let me sleep. I'm exhausted. It's only been three minutes!" His hand came back to my skin and it sounded like he laughed at me. "Please!"

I still had my eyes closed, but I felt him crawl closer to me. He kissed both of my eyes. "Liv? It's been more than five minutes. I'm not a machine." When I whined further he kissed my cheek. "It's ten in the morning. I've been watching you sleep for..."

I bolted up in the bed, wide awake now, and stared at him.

"...two hours and as cute as it is, I can't do it anymore."

"Did you say ten o'clock?" I asked in a shocked voice.

"Yup. Get up and take a shower with me and I'll take you out for breakfast."

My mind was trying to catch up with the words he was saying. I was still so tired and things were kinda foggy. I asked him the first thing that came to my mind. "Did you go for your run this morning?"

He gave me his lopsided grin. "No. I figured I worked hard enough last night that I could afford a skip day, just this once."

I smiled at him as the incredible memories of our energetic activities from the night before played in my mind. My stomach growled, interrupting my thoughts, and I nodded at him. "Breakfast sounds like a good idea." I stretched lazily, pulled the sheet off of me, and then stood up. "Quick shower and then breakfast." Fitz grinned and followed me into the bathroom. Two hours and another round in the shower later we walked out the door and headed for breakfast.


	11. Back To Reality

Back To Reality

 **Olivia's POV**  
We sat in a local IHOP and waited for our food to be brought to the table. Once I had heard the word breakfast, Fitz had no alternative but to find somewhere that served breakfast at noon. So IHOP is where we ended up. I had ordered strawberry banana pancakes with whipped cream on top while he had ordered Tuscan scrambled eggs with a side of red potatoes. As a new fan of his body, I appreciated his eagerness to take care of it. My breakfast had fruit on it and that counted!

While we waited, I reached into my bag to get my phone and remembered that we had turned them off the night before. I shot Fitz a nervous look.

He took my hand across the table and asked, "What's the matter?"

I held up my phone and watched realization spread across his face. He made a similar nervous face and it made me feel some better. "I guess it's time to face reality." We both turned the devices on and as they powered up I realized just how much quieter the past twelve hours had been without it beeping and dinging every so often.

Notifications began popping up on the face of it and my dread began to grow with each added one. After a minute I looked up at Fitz. "Nine missed calls from Cyrus and one from my brother, Harrison."

"Light day for you." He grimaced. "Try eleven missed calls from Abby, two from Stephen, and one from a manager we'll be visiting next week. Oh, and nineteen emails."

"See, I didn't know we were doing emails as well. I have..." I counted them up quickly and reported the number to him. "Twenty-four of them."

"Well, aren't you special?" He asked with sass and took a drink of his orange juice.

"Bet your fine ass I am." I replied as I looked through them.

"Your brother probably called for details of their trip over here tomorrow for the toy testing."

"Most likely. But right now, he is the least of my worries. Cyrus is probably about to board a plane and fly out here to make sure I'm doing my job to his expectations." I rolled my eyes and dropped my phone down on the table. The waitress brought out our food and Fitz and I both said thank you.

"Then why don't you take a minute to call and assure him?" Fitz asked.

"Because right now I am starving. I burned through more calories last night than Michael Phelps when he's practicing in the pool. I need food." I cut and speared a piece of pancake and stuffed it into my mouth.

"It definitely was an energetic night. And morning." He said grinning from the rim of his juice glass. "Maybe after we're done here we can work out some more until dinner?"

"I'm not going back into that room until the maid has cleaned it from top to bottom." I chuckled. "God, these pancakes are amazing! Do you want a bite?" I held my fork in his direction. After he nodded I leaned over the table and slid it into his mouth. He made an appreciative sound and I stared at his mouth a little longer than necessary. He grinned at me in return.

"Try these eggs." He fed me a bite and waited for my reaction. I nodded enthusiastically as I chewed. "Good, right?"

I smiled at him. "It's the second best thing I've had in my mouth recently." I enjoyed watching his mouth hang open at my admission. He went back to his food after shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "What's the plan for today?"

He rubbed circles on my hand and said, "We have a late late check-out so we should definitely take advantage of that at least once more. Then I need to touch base with the manager we are going to be visiting later this week. And of course, catch up on all of our..." His phone began to beep. "missed calls." He added quietly. "I'm not answering that."

I looked down at the face of his phone that was lying on the table. It was Abby. I couldn't blame him for ignoring the call. Explaining why so many of her calls had already been missed was going to be difficult for him. I had my hands tied worrying about what I was going to say to Cyrus. As stressful as it was to think about, the night we shared had been well worth it. I couldn't wait to get Fitz alone again.

Like women with synched periods, my phone also began to chime. I didn't have to look at it to know that it was Cyrus. My phone chimed angrily when he called somehow. Using his finger, Fitz flicked his phone in my direction and said, "Tell her someone knocked our phones into the fountain." He picked mine up while I waved my hands at him as terror spread across my face. He touched the face of my phone, and answered it. "Hello?"

He started speaking in broken sentences into my phone. "Hello? Can...hear me?"

I sat across from him and chuckled. Cyrus was going to be pissed off! I shrugged my shoulders and answered Fitz's phone, doing the same thing, hoping it worked. "Hell...o?"

Fitz looked up at me from across the table and grinned in between the broken conversation with Cyrus. I'm sure to passersby we must have looked like idiots, but it felt wonderful to be silly for a moment. I felt his foot rub against mine. Amazed that he still had Cyrus on the phone and was handling him well, I lifted my left foot and rubbed it against his crotch under the table. His face went from easy going to shock and his eyes darkened as he looked at me.

"I'll...Miss Pope...message...call you...soon. Yes, Sir." He ended the call and threw my phone down on the table. He pointed at me and said, "Play time is over. End the call now!"

"He'll...you." I ended the call and set his phone down beside mine and went back to my pancakes as if nothing had happened. I could feel his eyes on me as I avoided eye contact and continued eating. A few minutes later, I heard his fork scrape against his plate and I knew he was eating too. I made the mistake of glancing up at him from under my lashes. His eyes were glued to mine as he chewed and he wore a serious look. It seemed that I was in deep shit with him. I tried in vain not to smile at my plight and finished my breakfast. I took a sip of my juice and said, "That was amazing. I feel so much better. A nap would be great right about now."

Fitz dropped a fifty dollar bill on the table and scooted out of his side of the booth. He held out his hand in my direction and I took it. His arm went around my hip and he leaned close to my ear and whispered, "You are most definitely going back to bed, but a nap is nowhere in your future." I grinned to myself. I had him right where I wanted him.

We drove back to the hotel and were stopped by the manager. "Oh, Miss Pope?"

We stopped walking toward the elevators and caught his eye. "Yes?"

"I wanted to let you know that I contacted corporate about the issue with your rooms." Fitz and I made our way over to the service desk. "They insist on giving both of you a free week to spend at any of our hotel locations of your choosing.

I glanced at Fitz and noticed that he wore a look of disbelief. "That's very generous of your company, Mark. We appreciate that very much."

"It's the least we can do after the mix up with your reservations."

Fitz took the vouchers from Mark's hand and said, "Thanks, Mark. It's been less difficult than we originally thought." I stifled a giggle and we went to the elevator to go up to our room.

As soon as the doors closed Fitz turned to me and said, "Do you want to expound more on your admission at the breakfast table?"

I pretended to be confused. "I said a lot of things at the breakfast table this morning."

"You need help remembering what I'm referring to. I see." He put his hands on my hips and turned me away from him. My nose was practically pushed up against the side of the elevator. He wasted no time getting in my neck while his hands roamed my body. Last night I was so proud of him for learning that my neck was my weak spot. Today, however, I knew it would make me admit just about anything. Fitz had all the power and he knew it.

He kissed and licked and nibbled and sucked on my neck and even though I was trying really hard not to be, I was turned on. "Do you want to tell me what you were talking about now?" He murmured in my neck.

I grit my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut as tightly as possible. "I can't recall." I barely got the words out and I knew they didn't sound convincing at all, because I felt his mouth turn into a smile while he held it in my neck. He was enjoying this way too much. I decided to see if he'd put his money where my mouth was. I moved away from him and pushed the red emergency stop button. The elevator stopped abruptly. I shrugged at him. "Maybe you should remind me?"

The look on his face was priceless. "What? Here?"

"You're the one who wants to talk about it." I reminded him.

"I'm not shy about my body, Liv."

I smiled at him. "Great. I'm not shy about your body either, Fitz."

He chuckled quietly and reached down to his belt, unbuckling it. His eyes stayed glued to mine as he pulled the front of his dress shirt from the open waistband of his pants. I flicked my eyes down and saw his blue boxer briefs. He drew his zipper down and opened his pants. I watched as he hooked his thumb into the elastic band of his underwear and slowly started dragging the front of them down. A dark patch of curly hair was revealed and still he pulled them down.

At the first sign of the firming smooth skin I had been referring to at breakfast, I craned my neck, licked my lips, and watched for more. "Best thing you've had in your mouth recently?" He asked.

My eyes flew up to meet his gorgeous blue ones. "Most definitely. Are you sharing now?"

"Most definitely." Fitz started tugging them down even more, until his rigid length popped out.

I took a step closer to him with my open hand out in front of me, reaching for the prize. My fingertips grazed his skin when a voice said, "Are you folks okay in there?"

I froze and looked up at Fitz. His eyes were scanning the ceiling as if he was looking for someone up there. "Who was that?" I whispered.

He shrugged and then said, "Hotel staff?" In a louder voice he added, "We're fine."

"Great. We don't want you in a panic. Apparently, the elevator has gotten stuck. But don't worry. We'll get you out in a jiffy."

I pressed my lips together and looked over at the elevator buttons. The emergency stop button was still pressed in. Fitz quickly stuffed himself back inside his underwear and straightened himself out while I balled my hands up and released them repeatedly. I did that when I was nervous and right now I was freaking out.

I took a deep breath and loudly said, "Oh my goodness! My hand was accidentally on the emergency stop button." I pushed it again and the elevator began moving up again. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea." I felt like an idiot.

"Whew!" The voice said. "That is not a problem. Good catch. But in the future, be careful of what your hand touches in the elevator. Enjoy your day."

My shocked face locked with Fitz's grinning one. "Do you think there are cameras in here?" I hissed.

"I doubt it. He would have spoken up before he did." When my face didn't change he began to laugh at me. "What's the matter? You're not into exhibitionism?"

"No! And shut up!" I was mortifyingly embarrassed.

We quietly rode the few floors up until we reached ours. I hurriedly inserted the key card into the door but the light remained red. I tried it again, without success. "What the hell is wrong with this thing?"

Fitz rested his chin on my shoulder and whispered, "Well, someone is flustered." He patiently watched me try to open the door once more and added, "You're sliding it in too fast."

I stood in front of the door for a moment in silence and closed my eyes. My mind went to a deliciously dark place where Fitz was naked and sliding it in too fast. God, it was hot. I was very aware of his hard body right behind me and the fast sliding thoughts grew darker. My core ached for him.

I was jarred from my dark musings when I suddenly felt him grind his crotch on my ass. I kept my eyes forward and tried to calm my breathing. His mouth was in my neck again and I heard him say, "Mmmmm, I can hear all of those naughty things you're thinking about. If you can manage to get the door opened, I'll make them all a reality."

Fucking hell!

I studied the picture of how to slide the key card and then at the key card itself to make sure I was holding it correctly in my shaky hands. I heard him quietly chuckle in my ear. After two tries I got a green light and we stumbled into the room. I threw the damned card down on the table and turned into his arms, attacking his mouth feverishly.

He had on another dress shirt and this time I was not going to waste time with teasing. My nimble fingers opened the buttons quickly and slid his shirt off. He pulled my top over my head and our mouths met again for more heated kisses. I pulled away from him and drew in a ragged breath of air. Pointing to him I demanded, "Pants. Off. Now!" As I pulled mine down, stepping out of them quickly and leaving them on the floor.

He stood before me naked and proud of it. I took his hand and started towards the bed. I was halted abruptly when he stopped moving. He pulled me to his chest and in a dangerously low voice said, "Last night was the two of us getting to know each other. Today you've been teasing me. It's time for some pay back. Are you up for it?"

My eyes went down to his mid section. "It appears we're both up for it."

He growled in his throat and crushed his lips to mine in a searing kiss. I grabbed his ass trying to pull him closer, and that's when he wrapped his arms possessively around me and started walking. My back felt the coolness of the nearest wall and it felt good to my heated skin. Fitz abruptly broke the kiss and squatted down in front of me. He picked up my right foot, set it on his shoulder, and wasted no time lavishing attention on my core.

My right hand immediately went into his hair and I gripped a handful of it hard as my hips automatically began to move against his gifted tongue. My eyes were squeezed shut, my face probably looked like I was in terrible pain, although quite the opposite was true at the moment, and my breaths had rapidly turned to panting. I was quickly getting lost in the amazing sensations he was bringing to my body and feeling the familiar tension building to a peak, when he abruptly stopped and went to his bag. I was standing there on the precipice of bliss and had been denied. I shot him a look.

"Payback is a bitch huh?" I watched him roll on a condom and wondered if he had momentarily lost his mind? He stepped close to me and grinned. "Maybe you'll think about that the next time you decide to tease me in a crowded restaurant?"

I was speechless. Surely, he was going to finish the job?

He eyed my body from head to toe before putting his hands on my hips and turning me around. Immediately his face was back in my neck and I heard him hum in his throat. "I kind of like how you reacted when I was behind you earlier. I think I'll do some more research on that."

I was already breathing hard and my imagination was in overdrive thinking about what kind of research he was about to do. I felt his hands leave my hips and turned around to see what he was going to do next. Fitz squinted his eyes at me and said, "Turn around and mind your business please."

Mind my business? I was naked with him standing behind me. I was pretty sure he was about to be all up in my business, but I went back to facing the wall and waited. I felt his lips on the bottom of my spine and my chest automatically pushed forward while my shoulders jerked back. That sexy bastard had the audacity to laugh at me.

"Ticklish. Good to know." He murmured quietly.

His lips traveled up my spine and he planted little kisses along the way. His hands were back on my hips and he pulled me backward two steps. Fitz laced the fingers of our right hand together and brought them up to the wall in front of us, leaning me over in the process. His leg nudged mine open and I could feel him teasing my opening with his hard length.

As I turned to kiss him, needing his lips on mine, he slammed into me. I involuntarily cried out and my hand gripped his until my knuckles turned white. Fitz stilled for a moment and I bit my lip and waited for him to move again. His right hand let go of mine, going back to my hip, as he went back to his research.

I was sure to have marks on my hips from the grip he had on them, but right now I didn't care. The gift that kept on giving was hammering into me at a dizzying pace and I was loving every delicious moment of it. I could feel the tension in my body building quickly. My breathing became shallow and I licked my dry lips, knowing they would be dry again in an instant.

"Fiiiiitz." His name came out a broken whine as I flattened my palm on the wall in front of me.

"Where are...those..." He grunted. "Naughty thoughts...mmmm...now?" He panted out as his body gave no indication it was letting up.

I grit my teeth. He asked a question and I believed he deserved an answer. I took a deep breath, knowing I was so close, on the verge of climaxing, and looked over my shoulder at him. His curls were damp. His face had a sheen of sweat on it but it was covered with a look of determination. I closed my eyes for a moment and willed my body to wait until I got this one word out. I was sure to shatter into a million pieces as soon as he heard it said out loud.

He actually smirked at me. "Something...to say?"

I smirked right back at him. In a loud voice I said, "Harder!"

 **Fitz's POV**  
Did she just say what I think she said?!

I knew there was a lot to learn about Olivia Pope, but I never in a million years thought I would discover that she was a commanding sex goddess who liked things a little rough. Never judge a book by its cover, I'd been told. And now I was a firm believer. The lady asked for harder and I was going to give her harder. The sounds that came from her were incredibly sexy. Knowing I was the one who was responsible for bringing them out of her tiny body was an ego inflating experience. So, I gripped her a little tighter and gave her a little harder.

I could see that her hands were tightly balled up into fists against the wall. Her toes were curled on the plain colored carpet. I bet if I could see her face it would be the picture of silent determination. She was trying to hold her orgasm from coming so quickly but it was in vain because I had learned a few things about being with her and what made her explode.

I released her left hip and snaked my hand around to her center and began to furiously rub circles on her most sensitive spot. She gasped loudly, and her right hand slapped the wall hard. She threw her head back and loudly begged, "Ohmygodrighttheredontyoueverstop" and poked her ass out even further.

It was a short moment later that Olivia fell to pieces in front of me. I watched her head drop heavily onto her right arm as she laboriously drew air into her lungs. Her legs began to shake, and I could feel her clenching her thighs together. The sex goddess was a big talker and didn't have a shy bone in her body. This was by far the most interesting research I had ever done. I was already anxious for the next time we would be together, and I could see how much further I could push her with pleasure.

I continued to pummel into her body repeatedly, knowing she wouldn't be able to stand for much longer, and feeling my own release rapidly approaching. She reached behind my neck, turning hers towards me for a heat filled tongue dancing kiss. A minute later, I laced our fingers together once again and came on a breathless grunt. We immediately fell to the floor a rumpled, exhausted, heavy breathing mess.

She was sitting on my lap and probably already well on her way to falling asleep when I kissed her temple and asked, "Are you still with me, Liv?"

"Barely." She paused for a minute before speaking again. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why do you feel like you have to try to kill me every time we have sex?" Her head dropped back on my shoulder.

I chuckled at her. "What are you talking about? I would never try to kill you. Good way to go though, don't you think?"

"Maybe I'm imagining it? Your just so much into fitness that even sex has to be an energetic workout for you. I'm not complaining. Just something I've noticed. Are you an adrenaline junkie by chance?" Her voice was starting to sound far away. The sex goddess was fading fast on me.

"If my memory serves me correctly, you were the one who told me to give it to you harder. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself. Besides, sex done right is an energetic workout. But there's something about you that makes me snap and I turn into a wild beast. You turn me on tremendously. I can hardly control myself." I kissed her shoulder. "Maybe you should come for a run with me sometimes to help build up your stamina? They don't make 'em like me anymore, Liv."

"Mmmm, there is a lot of truth there. I've never known another man anything like you. And you're right. That one was my fault. I don't know why I say such insane things to you when I get you naked. They just seem to fall out of my mouth, as if I have no control." She went quiet and I thought she may have fallen asleep on me. But then she added to her thoughts. "I have been a little lax with my morning work-out since we've been on the road. It just feels better to sleep in than get up and run."

"For the record, that wasn't a jab at your body. I think it's pretty damned perfect just the way it is." I kissed her shoulder again and pushed her hair out of her face. She had gone quiet again and I knew she was going to be asleep any minute.

I stood up and hoisted her into my arms, carrying her to the large comfy bed and laid her down on it. I went into the bathroom to clean myself up and brought her back a warm facecloth to clean herself up with. After she had done so, with her eyes still closed, she rolled over onto her stomach and quickly passed out for good. I pulled the blanket up to the middle of her back and got in beside her. I watched her sleep for a few minutes before my own eyes became heavy and I dropped into sleep myself.

I woke up to see Olivia quietly getting dressed. She was sliding her feet into her heels when I reached to the floor to retrieve my underwear and put them on. I sat on the edge of the bed and watched her picking up items and putting them into her suitcase. She didn't appear to be in a big rush, but she wasn't moving slowly either. She looked over at me and smiled. "Good afternoon."

I yawned loudly and held my hand out to her. She looped her necklace around her neck and came to sit on my lap. I kissed her temple and asked, "Going somewhere?"

"MmmHmm. Harrison called me again a little while ago. He, Leesa, and Sophie are here in California. I'm going to fly back to where we started and have dinner with them tonight." She leaned over me, grabbed a pair of her panties from between the sheets, and wadded them up in her hand. She got up and threw them into her suitcase.

I stood up and pulled out my own suitcase, throwing it on the bed. "Why didn't you wake me up? I need to jump in the shower, but I can be ready in about twenty minutes. What time does our flight leave?"

Olivia came and stood in front of me. "I'm going alone."

I was confused. We had been traveling together for a few weeks now and I saw no problem with us flying back to corporate together for a toy testing. One that I had already gotten approval by my superiors to attend. "What? Why?"

She smiled at me and put her hand on my chest. "Fitz, I need to go alone and we both know why. I am going to have to distance myself from you for the next two days because we will be at corporate. We will need to keep things professional between us in front of everyone; and I do mean everyone. And we will also be around my family. We don't need anyone to see any looks being passed between us, any flirting, or touches. It's going to be really hard for me to not do any of those things after everything that has happened in this room.

And on top of all of that, I spoke to Cyrus. He seemed to believe the story I told him about my phone falling into the fountain, although he wanted to know why you answered my phone. I made up something on the spot, but he is going to want more frequent updates and I have to stay on top of that, so he doesn't get suspicious. So, I decided to leave first. We really can't show up at the same time anyway. It would look bad. Your flight leaves in two hours."

"It sounds like you have thought of everything. And I can admit that it makes perfect sense, even if I don't like it. I promise to be on my best behavior. I should warn you though, my best behavior isn't all that good." I chuckled and put my arms around her.

Olivia pointed her index finger at me. "Fitz. There's no half assing this. If you can't control yourself around me, then maybe you shouldn't go?"

The expression on her face was a playful one and I knew that while she meant what she was saying, she was also teasing me. Kind of. "I think you should worry about yourself. How are you going to repress all of your wild sexual urges with me just a few feet away?"

"You're not that hot." She replied with a sour face. "Besides, Stephen will be there."

I picked her up and flung her down on the truly messed up bed from our earlier activities. I straddled her and tickled her ribs, as she squealed, laughed, and begged me to stop. "That was low and uncalled for." My hands ceased their torture and I smiled down at her as my body covered hers. "I think you need to make it up to me."

Olivia reached a hand up and dragged her fingertips across my unshaved jaw. "What did you have in mind?"

"Since you have to make it up to me it's whatever you have in mind." I tapped her temple gently. "Do you have any more of those naughty thoughts rolling around in there?"

"Always." As she kept her eyes on mine, she grabbed my finger and pulled it into her mouth, sucking on it hard. All I could do was stare at her wordlessly and try to ignore the growing discomfort my lower half was experiencing.

I pulled my finger out of her mouth and sat up, bringing her with me. "There's not enough time for you to properly make it up to me right now. In three days though, I will remind you about it."

"I'm sure you will." She said dryly.

"Are you going to introduce me to your brother and his family at the toy testing?" I could deal with two days of keeping my hands to myself in order to keep up professional appearances, but I hoped that she wasn't going to distance herself from me completely. "I'd like to meet them if you're okay with it?"

"Of course you can meet them. I should warn you though, Harrison considers himself my protector. He will definitely have things to say to you since we work together."

I gave her a questioning look, not understanding why he would have anything to say to me.

"What I mean is, he will ask you about the work we are doing, but don't be fooled by that. What he's really doing is sizing you up and seeing what kind of person you are. If he can trust you alone with me." she explained.

"Oh, I see." It was nice to know that Olivia's brother cared about her so much and would go to such lengths to make sure she was safe.

"And if he gets so much as an idea that anything is going on between us, he will probably try to kick your ass right there at your corporate headquarters."

"Are you trying to protect me?" I was charmed that she felt the need to give me fair warning about how her brother might act when he met me for the first time.

She stood up and zipped her suitcase closed before turning to me and stating in a serious tone. "No, I'm not trying to protect you. I'm trying to keep the drama to a minimum."

"I'm a big boy and can take care of myself." I said. "I'm not going to cause any problems or draw any unwanted attention to both of us."

"We will be at a work function and will need to behave a certain way. I am enjoying our work trip and I'd like to see it through to the end. That's not going to happen if people sense that something unprofessional or unethical is going on between us." Olivia said with a sigh.

"So, you don't want me to pass notes to you in gym class?" I asked sarcastically. "Look, I was the poster boy for professionalism at the workplace when we first met. I'm pretty sure I can handle going back to that for two days, Olivia. I'm not stupid. I know what's at stake here."

She put her arms around my neck. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that you didn't. We are already pushing a boundary by ditching work for a fun day. I just don't want to send up any more red flags."

She was cute when she was worried. "Look, if you'd rather go to the toy testing by yourself, I can meet you at the next stop in three days. It's no big deal. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or think you have to step on egg shells while your family is here."

"No, Fitz. That's not necessary. Your corporate office is hosting the toy testing and you've already gotten the approval to be there. You invited my family to come out of kindness for me. I would never ask you to not go. It wouldn't be right."

I nodded at her and extended my right hand. "Have a good evening visiting with your family. I will see you bright and early tomorrow morning at the toy testing. Have a good flight."

She eyed me with a serious face before releasing my hand and pulling me into her arms and holding onto me tightly. "That was really good. Perfect actually. But no one is here right now, and I expect a real goodbye from you."

I pulled back from her embrace and moved my hands to her cheeks. She watched me as my hands cupped her cheeks and I traced her lips with my thumb before I leaned down and softly brushed my lips over hers. Olivia deepened the kiss and gripped my shoulders like a lifeline. Still I held her as if she were made of fine porcelain.

I knew she would be late for her flight if she insisted on trying to set a dizzying pace with this kiss, so I tore my lips from hers and gave her a small smile. "I will miss you. You'll be in the same room as me, but I will still miss you."

"We will have to get re-acquainted once the toy testing is over and we are back on the road. But I'll miss you too. I'll miss having you all to myself. I'll hate not being able to touch you or look at you across a room and try not to imagine you without your clothes on."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll be constantly playing a guessing game in my mind called what color panties is Olivia wearing today." The sheepish grin she gave me was well worth the comment. "Will you text me when you land please?"

"Of course. Will you do the same when you land too please? I'll probably be at dinner with them, but still, I'd like to know that you landed safely."

"I will let you know as soon as my feet hit the ground. Do you want me to walk you downstairs? Take you to the airport?"

She wrinkled her nose at me and smiled. "Nah. It's better this way. I'm not good at goodbyes anyway. I'll see you in the morning. Bright and early."

I opened the door and watched her walk through it. She had her suitcase handle in her hand and looked at me. She was trying to play it cool, but I could tell she was after at least one more goodbye kiss, just as I was. I opened my arms and she came into them and held me tight before tilting her head up to mine for a sweet kiss.

"Wear the blue dress pants tomorrow, Mr. Grant. They make me want to take a bite of your ass."

"Blue dress pants it is. Take care of yourself, Miss Pope. And get plenty of sleep. You're not going to get any when we are back on the road."


	12. Behave

Behave

 **Fitz's POV**  
I landed safely and as promised, I sent Olivia a text to let her know. I had gotten her text just before I left for the airport, so I knew she had made it back just fine. I grabbed my bag from the overhead compartment and made my way off the plane.

As I sat in the backseat of the taxi headed to my house, I called my mother. Roscoe was surely a pot belly pig by now with zero energy. Too bad. His fat ass was getting up with me in the morning to go running. "Mom?"

"Son! Roscoe was just telling me how you never call, you never write."

"That's hilarious, mom. Let's get to the point. How fat is my dog?" I knew she wouldn't tell me, but he also knew it was probably bad. Real bad.

"He was a skinny boy, Fitzgerald. He needed to gain a little weight. I think you run him too hard. He's a dog, not a competitor for the triathlon." He was probably going to be mad when he saw his dog.

"Can he still stand on his own four feet by himself? Or is he too fat to do that anymore? Please tell me you haven't bought him doggie diapers, like the last time you babysat him, just so he doesn't have to go outside." I shuddered at the thought.

Marie looked at the dog laying on the floor, breathing heavy. She'd have to get rid of the diaper before Fitz got there. "I don't know what you mean. What time are you coming to get him?"

I looked at my watch. "I should be there in thirty minutes. That gives you plenty of time to get rid of the evidence. Bye, mom."

Once I had gotten home and changed clothes, I jumped into my car and headed to my parent's house. I had gotten a text from Olivia saying she was headed to dinner with Harrison and his family. I sent a text back saying I was on my way to pick up Roscoe. I missed her voice and asked her to call me when she got into her hotel room later on. She promised that she would.

It turned out that Roscoe hadn't really gained that much weight since I had left him with my parents. He was a little flabby, but I knew he'd love being outside with me the next two mornings romping in the sand and splashing in the ocean. He darted to me with his tail wagging excitedly. "How's my boy? Have you been good?"

The dog lavished kisses on my grinning face.

"And you wonder why I treat him like a grandchild?" My mother commented.

"I'm only here for two days, so I'm gonna take him home with me. I've missed him on my morning runs."

"You're going to give that dog a heart attack the way you make him run with you."

"It's good for him, mom. It gets the endorphins going. Besides, he loves it. Doncha, Roscoe?" The dog barked once and headed for the door. "See?"

"Do you want his food?" She asked. She had enjoyed his company the past few weeks and hated to see Roscoe go.

"Nah. I've got some at the house. Besides, he'll be back in two days." I thanked my mother, kissed her on the cheek, and the two of them got into my car and drove home.

After dinner, I repacked my bag with different clothes for the road trip with Olivia just to get the chore out of the way. I even threw in some jeans and shorts for their down time. I set his bag on the kitchen counter, so I could grab it on my way out the door before I left. When everything was in its place, I sat outside and watched the sun go down on the water while I waited for Olivia to call me.

At nine thirty the phone rang. Finally! I picked it up from the table outside and answered the call. "I was just thinking about you."

"You were? What did you do with the rest of your time today?" She was smiling hard as she lay on top of her hotel bed. She had missed his voice and the way it turned mischievous when he talked to her.

It was so good to hear her voice again. I knew it was beyond ridiculous to be excited about that since I had just seen her earlier that morning, but it was true. Her voice settled me somehow. In all the time we spent together on our trip, I had never noticed that before. "A little of this and that. Nothing important. Just watched the sunset with Roscoe."

"I'm sure he's happy to be back home with you. Rub his belly for me."

"He'll get plenty of that in the morning when we go for our run together. How was dinner with your family?" It was ridiculous, but I wanted to hear about everything she had been up to since she left earlier this morning.

"It was really nice. We went to a restaurant near the water. Of course, that made me think about you. The food was excellent. After dinner we went walking around taking in the sights. Harrison and Leesa were typical tourists, taking pictures of everything. Like they hadn't seen the ocean before." She giggled. "It was nice. I didn't realize how much I missed them. Thank you again for inviting them here and taking care of everything."

"You don't need to thank me. I was happy to do it. Besides, the company is footing the bill. All I did was give their names." I could practically see the beautiful smile on her face as she talked about her family. She sounded relaxed and happy and it did my heart good to know it. The fact that she had thought of me while being around her family did something to me. I brushed it off and continued the conversation. "What time are the four of you heading to corporate?"

"We are going to leave the hotel at nine, so we should be there by nine thirty. That will give us thirty minutes to figure out exactly where we are supposed to be and get there. I'm hoping that a certain good Samaritan will happen to be around to lend a helping hand."

She was flirting with me and it made me smile. "A good Samaritan who is on his best behavior?"

"MmmHmm. And one that has on tight fitting navy blue pants."

My smile was getting bigger and my thoughts were definitely not best behaviorly. "Why don't you come to my house tonight? I'd be more than willing to lend you a helping hand. Or two." I listened intently for her reply.

"I think I left out one very important detail?"

I sat up straighter in my chair on the back porch. "Be as descriptive as you can. I absolutely love details." She chuckled over the line and I just knew that I had her heading for the door.

"I have Sophie in my room tonight."

"You do?" Maybe they were spending some time together? Olivia had said that she was very close to her niece. It made sense. "Well, maybe you can come over after your brother and sister in law come and get her?"

"That would be in the morning. I wanted to give them a night to themselves. This is probably the only time they will get to come to California, so I thought it would be nice for them to enjoy their first night here to do whatever they wanted. Or stay out as late as they wanted. And I've really missed my best girl."

"Soooo, she can hear everything you're saying?" It was probably best to talk about something else if that was the case.

"This precious little pookarita is fast asleep. And if I am going to keep up with her tomorrow in a room full of toys, I'm going to have to head that way myself soon."

I had just seen her this morning. And would see her again in less than twelve hours. Still, I missed her. "Sleep well, Liv. I'll see you in the morning."

"Do you want to come to breakfast with us before the event?" She blurted out.

She said it really fast and I wondered if she was just being nice? I desperately wanted to say yes but didn't want to intrude on her family time. And I didn't want her to feel obligated in any way. "Thank you for the invitation, but you should enjoy your family while they are here. I'll meet them at the office in the morning."

"That's part of the reason I'm inviting you, Fitz. I'd much rather you meet them in a more casual setting like over breakfast than at corporate. They will be more relaxed at breakfast and we can actually talk without having the pressure of worrying about if we are too close to each other or not."

I wasn't going to let her off the hook quite that easily. "And the other part?"

"The other part of the reason is because I just miss you. I know that sounds stupid, but..."

"I miss you too, Liv." I let my admission hang in the air for a moment. I didn't want her to think she was alone in how she was feeling. "If you're sure you don't mind, and it won't piss off your brother, then I'd love to join the four of you for breakfast in the morning."

"Really?"

"I'll sit in the booth next to all of you, so your brother won't want to punch me in the face."

"That would be a shame, because it's such a handsome face."

"I have one condition though." My grin had turned into a smirk.

"Ummm, okay. What is it?"

"You don't mention anything that has been in your mouth recently."

"I hate you." She laughed.

I joined in her laughter and when it died down, I said, "Text me the time and place and I'll meet you there. Goodnight, Liv."

"I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Fitz."

Roscoe and I ran for five miles the next morning. Well, I did. Roscoe was back at his old tricks of meeting strangers and laying in the sand until I looped around to head back home. Once we were back in the house, we continued with our morning rituals. I took a shower and the dog stuffed his face and then looked for a place in the house to nap.

Mindful to wear the navy blue dress pants, as requested, I grinned as I pulled them up. When I had the zipper up and the button fastened, I turned around to see what Olivia liked about these particular pants. My ass looked like...an ass. I didn't see what all the fuss was about, but if it turned her on then by all means, I'd accommodate her by wearing them. I finished getting dressed, grabbed my keys, and went out the door.

The restaurant they had chosen wasn't too far from the office and I had eaten there before. It was a beautiful day and while part of me hated the thought of being inside, the other part was excited to be spending it with Olivia. And a few dozen kids as well.

The four of them were already seated when I walked into the restaurant. Olivia waved me over and I smiled and stuck out my right hand as she introduced us. My left one instinctively went to her back, but I immediately dropped it when I remembered that I was supposed to be behaving. "Harrison, Leesa, this is Fitzgerald Grant. He is the man who I have been out on the road with the past few weeks."

"This is the competition, you mean." Harrison corrected, shaking my hand firmly. "Nice to meet you, Fitzgerald. Is that a family name?"

"It is. It was my great grandfather's name." The two of us were still shaking hands with our eyes locked together.

"I thought so. That sounds like an old white guy's name."

"Harrison!" Olivia chided quietly.

"It's okay, Li...Olivia." I hoped no one noticed my near slip up and continued. "He was old and white." I said chuckling. Harrison seemed to have no interest in letting go of my hand first, so I pulled my hand back. "Nice to meet you."

Harrison nodded once and took his seat. Liv was right about her brother. He was going to be a tough one. Leesa gave me the once over and then quietly hummed appreciatively before turning to Olivia with wide eyes. At least one of them seemed to be on my side.

I shook Leesa's hand and then my eyes fell on their daughter. Sophia was staring up at me from the wooden high chair the restaurant had provided. I smiled at her and Olivia introduced me. "Sophia, this is aunt Wib's friend, Fitz. Fitz, this is Sophia."

I wasn't really sure what to do with babies or toddlers, which I suddenly found strange since I worked for a toy company. I squatted down beside her high chair and smiled at her. "Hello, Sophia."

Sophia gave me a shy smile but eventually found her voice and replied. "Hewwo."

"Are you excited to play with some toys today?" I asked.

She nodded vigorously.

I was at a loss for what to say next. But then I recalled the toys we sold to kids her age and I asked her a question. "Do you like Minnie Mouse?"

Again, she nodded.

"Do you like to dress up like a princess?"

Her eyes grew wide and she nodded slower.

Before I could get out my next question, she held her arms out to me to pick her up. I looked around the table, not wanting to do anything Harrison or Leesa would object to.

"You can pick her up if you're comfortable with it." Leesa encouraged with a smile.

I looked at Olivia, who said nothing and seemed to want to watch how this was going to pan out. So, I picked up Sophia and held her in my arms. She didn't weigh anything at all. I pulled the bottom of her dress down, so she was covered up and sat in what I assumed was my chair and had a chat with Sophia. "I happen to know where Minnie and the Disney princesses live." She was hanging onto my every word and I found myself completely enchanted by her.

"Way-uh?" She asked me curiously.

My eyes grew wider and my mouth formed an O. "They live right here in California! Can you believe that?" Her eyes got just as big as mine and it was adorable. "Have you ever been to where Minnie lives?"

She shook her head back and forth.

"Sometimes Minnie comes to the place where I work. Sometimes the princesses come to visit too. Maybe we will see them today?" She was hanging onto my every word. I'd never had such a captive or adorable audience before. I hoped to spend more time with her today.

"Momma!" Sophia turned her head to look at her mother excitedly.

"What is it?" Leesa asked innocently.

"Minnie!" Apparently, that was all the explanation she felt she needed to give. I laughed at her and set her back in her high chair, then returned to my own seat beside Olivia.

"I heard, baby. We're gonna have to keep our eyes open to see if we find her today." Sophie went back to coloring on her sheet while we decided what to order.

Olivia looked at me for a moment and finally said, "That was really sweet. But you know you gotta produce Minnie Mouse today, right?"

I gave her a smug look. "As a matter of fact, Minnie comes to the toy testing every single year. Sometimes she brings Mickey with her. Thank you very much."

"Someone is proud of himself." She said chuckling. She gently bumped her knee against mine and after a moment she pulled it away. I was glad to learn that I wasn't the only one having a hard time behaving.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Harrison intently watching our little exchange with a sour look on his face. That wasn't good. I did my best to ignore him, but I knew I would have to be much more distant with Olivia today when he was around.

The waitress came to take our order. When it was Olivia's turn, she smiled and innocently asked, " What do you recommend?" She looked at her family, purposefully avoiding eye contact with me, and excitedly said, "I've enjoyed some amazing things out on the road recently."

I almost spit out my water. I started choking and Olivia patted my back and asked if I was alright. I nodded but said nothing. When the waitress began to rattle off the specials, I remembered to breathe. I cut my eyes to her brother, but he didn't seem to think her words were a big deal. I on the other hand, knew exactly what she was doing. And it was a very big deal. Olivia Pope was going to pay for that comment when I got her alone in a few days.

 **Olivia's POV**  
In the car, on the way to the corporate office, my mind went to Fitz. I'd have to call him Mr. Grant all day today, but for right now, alone in my thoughts, he was Fitz. He had handled himself just fine at the restaurant, especially when Harrison started acting like a fool. He didn't seem overly bothered by it, but I'd apologize to him later on my brother's behalf. He had surprised me with how well he had handled Sophia, and that made me smile. He was full of surprises. I thought he would instantaneously combust at my comment to our waitress. I giggled as I recalled the look on his face.

"What's so funny?" Harrison asked from the driver's seat of their rental car.

"Nothing. Are you done acting like an A-S-S today?" Sophie was sitting beside me in the backseat and I didn't want to be responsible for her repeating that word. She would learn it soon enough from listening to her father.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"Really? You were pretty rude to Mr. Grant concerning his name don't you think?" I accused.

He shrugged. "Why do you care so much? He's the competition, Liv. Not your new best friend."

"You can still be decent even if he is the competition, Harrison. He may not be my new best friend, but he's not an enemy either. Besides, we work together. All I'm saying is stop acting like some alfa dog. He's actually a really nice guy once you get to know him." He's amazing when you get him naked, I thought to myself.

The four of us arrived at Toy Land and Sophie enjoyed pushing the button on the elevator. That brought back another dark Fitz memory and I had to work hard to contain the smirk that wanted to cross my face. Damn him for being everywhere.

We stepped off the elevator on the appropriate floor and it was a hub busy with activity. There were already several families sitting in chairs or standing, waiting for directions to the toy testing site. "This looks super well organized." Harrison muttered.

I sharply turned my head toward him and muttered back, "Shut up!"

I smelled a familiar cologne before I even saw him. "Olivia! So good to see you again."

A small measure of dread came over me, but I plastered on a smile for appearance sake and turned around, mindful to stick out my right hand in an attempt to avoid a possible hug. "Stephen. How have you been?"

"Busy. This merger has kept us all on our toes, but I think the transition is going very smoothly. Thanks in part to what you and Fitz have accomplished. How have things been out on the road? Is Fitzgerald behaving himself?"

I cringed that he would ask me that in front of my family, but knew it was good natured. Before I could reply, the man in question was at my side. "I'd like to hear the answer to that question myself." He was smiling confidently with his hands in his pockets and looking at me expectantly. I wanted him in the worst way.

I crinkled my nose and replied, "He's been kinda bossy, truth be known."

He laughed, that deep sexy laugh that I loved, and while I looked composed on the outside, on the inside I was thinking of how to get him alone for a minute. "What? When?"

"Did you see how he cut me off on our television interview? He's very vain, this one. Likes his tv time." I giggled.

"No. I think I missed that." Stephen said plainly. "But if you say it happened, I'm sure it did." He winked at me and it took every ounce of my control to not roll my eyes at him.

"At least I know how to open a hotel room door." Fitz said with a huge grin on his handsome face. "And I don't accidentally shut down elevators."

I stopped breathing at his words. I couldn't believe he had just said that! To his boss! I cleared my throat and put my faltered smile back in place.

Stephen looked questioningly at me and then to Fitz and then back at me. "It sounds like the two of you have found your stride working together."

"You have no idea." I said before I could stop the words. Fitz looked at me with a raised eyebrow but said nothing. "He's been great. Really, Stephen. I couldn't ask for a better traveling partner. He's very knowledgeable and his people really look up to him. It's no wonder he's gotten so far in the company."

Fitz and I locked eyes and even though no words were spoken, he seemed to somehow be telling me thank you for saying all of that to his boss. I nodded slightly and turned back to Stephen, so he wouldn't feel ignored completely.

"Fantastic. That's what every boss wants to hear about his employees." His smile lingered, as did his stare and I began to feel uncomfortable.

Fitz must have picked up on it, because he turned to the crowd of people, clapped his hands together once, and excitedly asked, "Are you ready to see the toys?" All of the kids cheered, and the parents looked relieved to not have to keep them entertained or prevent further meltdowns any longer. Sophie held her arms out to him and again, Fitz froze. Leesa happily handed her over, and Fitz loudly said, "Follow me!"

Leesa and I fell in line behind him, mostly so I could watch his ass in those pants. It really was perfection. Her voice startled me out of my thoughts. "That man is fine as hell and loves kids. You need to scoop him up before someone else does."

I laughed at her openness. Harrison had stepped into the bathroom, so I felt a little freer to continue the conversation. "I'm not interested in...scooping him up."

"Bull! I've seen the way the two of you look at each other." She said sarcastically.

I was horrified that we were already that easily read. "I think you misunderstand what..."

"I'm just playing." She cackled. "The look on your face was priceless though." We walked a little further and she added, "He is very handsome. If you aren't interested in scooping him up, you might want to at least," she gestured with her hands, "see what's underneath all those clothes."

"Leesa!" I whispered exasperatedly. The two of us giggled wildly and I wished I could confide in her that I had already done exactly that.

The toy testing was going great. There were kids everywhere, even though they had been broken up into smaller groups according to their ages. There were staff members who got on the floor or sat at tables and played with the children, showing them how each toy worked or just watched them try to figure it out on their own. I started out with Sophie and watched from behind the glass windows to see what her reactions were to some of the toys. Someone from the company was also observing and busily scribbled in a notebook beside me.

Eventually, I explained to Harrison and Leesa that I was going to peek in on the different age groups and left them watching their daughter. Each group had at least a dozen kids in them and they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. The younger kids, probably around four or five, were putting together brightly colored puzzles with information like the US Presidents names in order of their service, numbers or the alphabet. They had others as well that were learning toys. Most of them had wide eyes and big smiles on their faces.

The oldest group of kids, elementary school aged, were playing with toys that taught science, Spanish, and math. They were less wide eyed, but still impressed and happy to be a part of the event. All of the parents I had seen and tried to speak to as they watched their child play were grateful to be here and very impressed with how it was all put together and organized.

It was then that I realized that I still hadn't seen Fitz since we had arrived, and I wondered where he was? Surely not working on a day as fun as this one? As I continued walking around and watching the kids play, I heard the rich baritone voice behind me. "Olivia? Can I please speak to you? I need your help with a serious matter. It will only take a few minutes."

I turned around and looked at him. He didn't seem to be teasing me or being playful, so I nodded and followed him down winding halls and wondered where we were going. Eventually, I saw his name on a door and realized that we were at his office. He opened the door for me and I stepped inside, wondering what he needed my help with?

No sooner had he closed the door, then his hands were all over me. Crediting myself with being a fast learner, I turned around and crushed my mouth to his. He opened his, and my tongue slid inside. Fitz reluctantly pulled away from me, gasping for air and said, "I have wanted to kiss you since breakfast."

He instantly dipped his head into my neck while I reached my hands down and grabbed two handfuls of his ass. It was a fantastic ass. "If you ever get rid of these pants, I'm never having sex with you again."

"I want you right now." He whispered in my ear, before licking the shell of it.

I couldn't think straight with him doing that and he knew it. I nodded in a haze before reality hit me like a ton of bricks. He was leading me to the small sofa in his office when I suddenly stopped, causing his arm to jerk. He turned around and looked at me. "What's the matter?"

"We can't have sex in your office!" I quietly exclaimed.

"Why can't we?" He asked smiling.

"Because there are kids here! It's weird."

He stepped in my direction until our chests were touching. His smile got bigger and there was an air of cockiness to him as he answered me. "There are always kids here. We provide childcare for working mothers on a lower floor."

I opened my mouth to come up with another excuse, but he suddenly leaned down and attacked my lips with his. My arms went around his neck as my mind tried to fight its way out of the sex fog Fitz was leading me into, but I lost the will to struggle any further when I suddenly found myself on my back and him on top of me.

My hands skimmed down his back, loving the feel of the muscles under his blue dress shirt. I needed to touch his skin and pushed him up a little to get the damned shirt opened. He put one of his knees on the sofa between my legs, sat up, and began quickly unbuttoning it as his blue eyes pierced my soul. He was only halfway done with the buttons when I reached up and slid my hands underneath the bottom of his white t-shirt. I groaned appreciatively, causing Fitz to grin and hurry his movements.

"I thought it would be weird for us to have sex in here?" He asked with sarcasm and a smirk.

"I'm not having sex with you. I'm just touching your chest." We aren't leaving this room until we've had sex, my mind declared loudly. I began unbuckling his belt, and his smirk covered his entire face.

"You seem pretty eager to get me naked though?"

"Have you seen yourself naked? I just want a peek and then we can go."

He gave me a doubtful look. "Just a peek huh?"

I nod my head passively.

He stands up and pulls off his t-shirt and part of me is saddened by that because it's clinging to his chest and abs. But once his skin is revealed I realize that this really is better than the thin white covering. He makes quick work of shedding his pants and is standing before me in his boxer briefs. I quickly scramble to sit up on the sofa, locking my eyes on his underwear, and lick my lips as my index finger makes a downward motion repeatedly.

Fitz steps towards me. "You want a peek, take one."

He makes no move to show me what I want to see, so my itchy fingers reach out and grab the waistband of the briefs and pull him closer. When he is standing right in front of me with very little space between us, I ease them down his hips until the large hardening prize inside springs out. My hand automatically makes contact and I begin to slowly stroke him.

He grabs the waistband and pulls his underwear back into place, leaving me shocked and confused. "What the hell are you doing?" I ask him.

"You said a peek, not a hands on violation." He turns around, grabs his shirt and starts putting it on.

"Get your sexy ass over here right now and give me another peek." I demand.

"No." He replies.

I stand up and smooth out my dress and start making my way to his door. "You're right. That's probably for the best. Besides, Stephen is around here somewhere. I'll just go talk to..." The air is sucked from my lungs as two large hands grab my waist and pull me giggling back to the sofa.

"You think you're cute, don't you?" He asks with a chuckle.

"I think that you think I'm cute." I say putting my arms back around his neck with a grin. "But we probably should be getting back, don't you think?"

"We will. But I really just need fifteen minutes alone with you first."

"Fifteen minutes isn't enough time to..." He wasted no time attaching his lips to mine while his hand reached under my sundress. He pushed my panties to the side and began rubbing my core in gentle circles, and then inserted one inside me. I tried to keep up with his tongue, but his fingers were driving me insane and I needed air. I threw my head back and inhaled deeply while Fitz continued his assault on my lower half. His mouth found my open neck in an instant and he dipped his head to lick and suck on my skin there. This was much worse, I decided in my delirium. I should have stuck with the kisses.

I started panting and grinding against his hand as he drove me higher, nearer to the precipice of oblivion. I felt like I was running towards it, but still couldn't get there fast enough. I gripped his shoulders tighter. The moment he ran his tongue down the column of my neck I began to chant his name. I was teetering on the brink of release when his baritone voice whispered, "Let go, Liv."

"Oh Godddd!" I groaned. I don't know how I was still standing as my body shook from the aftershocks of my orgasm. My body was already screaming for another one.

Fitz removed his hand from under my dress but kept his mouth in my neck while his other hand held onto me. He put a kiss below my ear and said, "You were saying?"

I could feel the smile on his face even though I couldn't see it. If I tried hard enough, I could hate him. Maybe. He pulled away from my neck and was grinning proudly. "We should get back out there." I didn't want to, but I knew we'd be missed sooner or later.

He glanced at his watch and said, "We still have twelve minutes left."

"That's impossible. There's no way that just happened in three minutes!"

"I wouldn't lie to you. I think, if we tried really hard, we could think of a way to use up all of those twelve minutes in a very creative fashion?"

"The more you talk, the more time you waste." I said in a challenging voice.

He was on me in an instant. His arms came around me and he pulled me on top of him as we tumbled onto the sofa. His mouth was fused to mine, his kisses were demanding yet exhilaratingly so. Air was needed, but it wasn't very high on the priority list at the moment. We were both far too busy with using the remaining minutes as wisely and as creatively as we could. He only broke the kiss long enough to reach into his wallet and roll on a condom.

Fitz bunched up the bottom of my dress until it reached the top of my thighs. It would be a wrinkled mess for the rest of the day, but I'd worry about that later. He gripped the side of my panties and tugged. Being lace, they ripped easily. I was shocked that he had done it so effortlessly. No man had ever literally ripped my panties off of me. It was sexy as hell.

Once I recovered, I wasted no time easing up off of him and tugging his boxer briefs down far enough that I could settled over his rock hard length. Fitz grabbed my waist and said, "Hurry." I impaled myself on him and we both let out deep groans of satisfaction.

Knowing we didn't have much time, I set a furious pace and rode him like my life depended on it. I prayed no one was in the offices nearby because we were not being very shy about the noises we were making. Or the dirty words we were speaking to each other. I was well on my way to my second orgasm when Fitz's magic fingers went back to rubbing circles on my bundle of nerves. I cried out once and then covered my mouth to silence it.

I had slowed the pace quite a bit to give myself time to breath oxygen into my burning lungs. My thighs were beginning to feel like jello from my exertion when Fitz put his hands on my back and flipped our positions, putting him on top. "My turn to drive" he grinned. I felt him hammering into me, and as much as I wished I could breathe normally, this felt so much better. Breathing was over rated.

Fitz went from jackhammering to swiveling his hips in big circles. He was breathing hard and beginning to sweat, but he seemed determined to get to the destination. "Almost...there." He grunted, as he continued his work. "Feels so good." I wrapped my legs around his waist and held on for dear life. Moments later, Fitz's face tensed up, and then his breath whooshed out. He collapsed heavily on me as his chest heaved. He was such a great driver!

When his breathing was less ragged, he lifted his head and looked at me with a lopsided grin. "Do you think we are under or over time?"

"Way over! That felt like it lasted for days." When he raised his eyebrows at me, I added, "What? You don't hear me complaining!"

He glanced at his watch and then back at me. "Ooops. That was twenty minutes. We definitely have to get back. Someone is going to notice that neither one of us are out there." He stood up and began dressing himself.

Someone suddenly knocked on the door and a familiar voice called out, "Fitz?" It was Harrison.


	13. Where's The Trust

Where's The Trust

 **Olivia's POV**  
We both froze, and time seemed to freeze along with us. What the hell did Harrison want that was so important that he felt the need to track us down? And how had he found Fitz's office? Why couldn't he just stay with his family and enjoy a fun filled relaxing day? Little brothers! Fitz and I looked at each other, not knowing what to do. I looked around his office and saw another door. "Where does that go to?" I quietly asked.

His eyes followed my pointing finger and whispered, "Shared bathroom with another executive."

"I'll be right there." I called out to the door. Fitz looked at me with wide eyes like I had lost my mind. I probably had.

"Liv?" Harrison asked in a voice laced with confusion through the closed door.

"Coming." I happily chirped toward the door. Looking back at Fitz I whispered, "Go get dressed!"

He speed walked into the bathroom and quietly closed the door. I looked down at my dress. It wasn't as badly wrinkled as I had thought it might be. I could explain it. Somehow.

I double checked the room to make sure Fitz hadn't left anything behind. For good measure, I went to Fitz's desk and grabbed the file laying on top and glanced through it. I kicked off my shoes near the couch and went to the door.

When I opened it, Harrison walked in and began looking around. When his curiosity had been satisfied, he looked at me and asked, "Why are you in here and not at the toy testing?"

"Fitz asked me to come help him with something. I haven't been gone very long. Dad." I rolled my eyes at him dramatically hoping to come across as unbothered. On the inside I was panicking.

He squinted curiously at me and asked, "What exactly are you helping him with?"

He was like the FBI hot on a case. I calmed myself as I walked to the still warm sofa and sat down, tucking my legs up underneath my body. I grabbed the file I had set on the coffee table, gestured with it, and said, "This is one of his managers we are visiting later this week. He wanted me to see if there was anything in his file that could possibly save him from being fired. Fitz hates that part of the job."

"Soooo, where is he at then?" Harrison grilled.

We both heard a toilet flush from the shared bathroom and I hoped that it was whomever shared the bathroom with Fitz. The door opened, and Fitz stepped into his office fully dressed and smiling. He met Harrison's eye. "Oh. Hello, Harrison."

The man couldn't act for shit.

"Hey. I was just looking for the two of you. Some redhead showed me where your office was. I think she said her name was Gabby? Anyways, what are the both of you working on that's so important?"

I knew Harrison was trying to see if Fitz's answer would match up with mine, and I held my breath waiting to see what he would say. "We are visiting a manager in a week or so and it's looking like when we get there I'm going to have to fire him. His numbers are nowhere where they need to be, and he's been slacking for a while now. I was hoping your sister would be able to see something redeemable in him that I'm not." He shrugged. "Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like she does."

"Yea, well, Liv has a great eye. If she says there is no redeeming this guy, you can take that to the bank." His eyes met mine and he asked, "Are you ready to get back now? Sophie's been asking about you."

I smiled at him, not faking my reaction this time. "Of course. I'm sorry Harrison. You know how I get when I'm in work mode. I just lost track of time."

He nodded and grimaced. "I do. It's what makes you so good at your job, Liv. And it's why you'll end up getting this promotion."

My eyes went wide, and I felt mortified he had said that in front of Fitz. And so unapologetically. "Harrison!"

He looked directly at Fitz and said, "Just stating the facts."

I slipped my shoes back onto my feet and put the file back onto Fitz's desk. I mouthed a silent apology to him before making my way to the door. He stood behind his desk with his arms folded across his chest and wore a determined look. I had seen that look before and knew he meant business.

"Harrison?" Fitz called out. "It's great that you are your sister's biggest cheerleader..."

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at the mental picture.

"But if she is going to get this promotion, she's gonna have to go through me to get it. I'm not handing it to her or taking it easy on her." He leaned on his desk and continued speaking. He looked so sexy and I eyed him up and down, knowing I had just had him, but wanted him all over again. Maybe on top of his desk? I barely caught myself before I took a step in his direction.

Harrison's steely gaze clashed with Fitz's. "What exactly are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I deserve this promotion just as much as she does. I have worked my ass off to get where I am in this company and I have plans for my future. Olivia is going to have to work harder than me to prove that she wants it more than I do. Otherwise, I am going to demolish her and become her next boss." Fitz smiled confidently.

Harrison strode toward Fitz and I grabbed his sleeve, thinking he was going to throw a punch or something equally stupid. He shook me off and kept going. When he was standing on the other side of Fitz's desk, Harrison stared at him for a moment and said, "That's a lot of big talk for someone who doesn't really know her. Sure, you've traveled with her for a few weeks and played nice for the cameras, but you don't know the real Olivia. She is great at her job. She is creative and inventive and gets the job done, going above and beyond what is required. If you ask me, you're the one who needs to work harder than her to prove yourself."

I had never heard Harrison speak in such glowing terms of me before. I felt like an outsider looking in even though they were talking about me. Granted, it was as if I wasn't even in the room with them, but it was interesting to watch so I stayed silent and wondered how it would end.

Fitz flicked his eyes up at me and kept them on me while he spoke to Harrison. "I know Olivia is a hard worker. She thinks outside the box in almost every situation and that certainly gives her an edge, but it doesn't give her the promotion does it? If that were the case, she would already be my boss." He concentrated his blue eyes back on my brother. "You don't know anything about me, Harrison. Except that I am an adversary for a job position against your sister, and while I find it admirable for you to automatically take her side, it's a sign of ignorance. You're undermining the competition, and in business, that's always a mistake."

Harrison seemed to be absorbing his words and I wondered if now would be the time he punched Fitz? I took a few steps in their direction in case I had to somehow break them apart. Instead, Harrison stuck out his hand with a grin and said, "I was beginning to think you didn't have any balls. It's nice to know I was wrong."

It was obvious by the look on his face that Fitz was surprised by my brother's gesture. His handsome face broke into a smile though, and he extended his own hand, shaking Harrison's. "They are still intact, somehow." The two of them chuckled like friends. I exhaled, feeling almost as relieved as from the sex earlier. When both hands had been dropped, Fitz added, "Your sister is a viable candidate for the promotion. She's brilliant. Competent too."

"Man, don't ruin all that progress by kissing her ass. She gets enough of that on a daily basis." He looked at me and said, "She is going to give you a run for your money though. Aren't you Liv?"

I gave both of them a shocked expression. "Oh! Now I'm included in this conversation about myself?"

"Shit. Here we go." Harrison sighed. Fitz laughed at his reply.

I pointed my finger at them. "Number one..."

"Fuck, we're getting a countdown. This is bad, in case you didn't know." Harrison told Fitz.

"...I have been right here in the room the whole time. The two of you don't need to talk about me like I'm invisible. I can stand up for myself. Number two, I am great at my job. Amazing even. And I can kick both of your asses any day of the week when it comes to business. And number three," I smiled at them. "I'm really glad that the two of you can finaly act civilly toward each other."

"She's gonna cry any minute." Harrison joked.

"Fuck you, Harrison!"

"Does she even know how to do that?" Fitz teased with a grin.

I turned my pointing finger on him but couldn't bring myself to give him the same words that I had given my brother. They had a different meaning now that I had actually fucked him. He seemed to pick up on that because Fitz cocked his head to the side and gave me a lopsided smile. I made a strangled sound and headed toward the door again.

Harrison laughed. "You only escaped that because the two of you work together. Once Liv is your boss, she'll be yelling 'fuck you' at you every day." He walked out the door and we followed behind him.

I suddenly yelped when I felt a large hand on my ass and heard that sexy baritone voice whisper, "Mmmmm, is that a fact?"

My eyes went wide as I jerked my head in his direction. I mouthed the words 'stop it' at him and pushed his hand away as we continued down the hall. Before we reached the end of it I linked my hand with his and enjoyed watching his face turn to surprise before the ridiculously proud grin covered it.

"Wook aunt Wib!" Sophia excitedly exclaimed. Her group had been let out from the confines of the toy filled room and she had something in her hand.

"What you got there?" I asked her as she sat happily perched on my hip. It was a toy. One I had never seen before.

"Issa toy." She said grinning.

"Where'd you get that Soph?" Fitz asked from beside me.

She immediately launched herself into his arms, holding up the toy for us to see. Fitz grinned at her and poked her belly, making her giggle. "Megan" was all she said before pointing her little finger at the glass windows into the toy room she had just left. Both of us turned to look through the glass and saw a young woman waving at us. Sophia grinned at her and waved back.

A sudden loud noise from across the room made everyone's head turn. There, making her way to the center of the room was Minnie Mouse. Sophia's eyes bulged but stayed glued to the larger than life character. Suddenly, remembering her voice, Sophia loudly squealed, "MINNIE!"

The squeal caught Minnie's attention, and she politely made her way over to Sophie. When she was standing in front of Fitz, Sophie put her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. Fitz looked like he was in heaven and put his hand on her back to comfort her. I snapped a picture of them and watched as he whispered something in Sophie's ear, causing her to smile shyly and nod.

Minnie held out her hand and Sophie looked at Fitz to make sure it was okay to go with her. The rest of her family was nonexistent in that moment and Fitz encouraged her to go with Minnie. He carefully set her down and she took the large white gloved hand and took off with the mouse.

I was stunned. This was the shyest child I had ever known, yet she had taken Fitz at his word that it was okay to go with Minnie. I went to stand beside him and asked, "What did you say to get her to go with Minnie?"

He looked over at me and shrugged. "I told her Minnie has a present for her."

"Fitz," I began in a concerned voice. "She's gonna expect Minnie to give her something. You shouldn't have lied to her."

He went to put his hand on my back, but quickly dropped his hand, remembering where we were. "That is not the first time today that you have accused me of lying, Miss Pope. Where's the trust?" He followed the mini parade following Minnie and Sophia, leaving me to wonder what he meant by that?

The line came to a halt in the middle of a large room that was filled with food. Minnie had lots of best friends by this point and all of them wanted to walk with her and talk to her. And while she waved to everyone and covered her mouth as if laughing, she held tight to Sophia's hand.

Stephen made an announcement that lunch was ready for all of the amazing toy testers and their parents. He thanked the kids for helping the company make big decisions on new toys and the parents for bringing them today. Harrison and Leesa were discreetly asked to follow the mouse and their daughter. With the hungry children and their parents focused on the amazing kid friendly foods displayed, Minnie led Sophia away from them. Not really sure what was going on, but not wanting to miss anything either, I followed behind them.

We were brought into a much smaller room that was well furnished but had plenty of space. I stood beside Harrison and shook my head back and forth when he asked me if I knew what was going on. Someone, another executive I assume, squatted down in front of Sophie and asked her if she would like to have her picture taken with Minnie Mouse. She excitedly nodded. Photos were taken, and then Leesa and Harrison were invited to join them for more photos.

When the photos had been taken, the family was told when to expect the pictures to be delivered to their home. The executive handed Harrison some papers and said, "Every year Minnie chooses one child at the toy testing to lead the rest of the attendees to lunch. It's how we wrap up the day. That child and his or her family are given vouchers for an all-expense paid fun filled day at Disney Land. We hope you will accept and enjoy a day full of little surprises at the happiest place on earth."

Harrison, Leesa, and I all had gaping mouths and stared mutely at the gentleman. He chuckled at us, and get down on Sophie's eye level and asked her, "Would you like to take your mommy and daddy to see where Minnie lives?"

She squealed and hugged Minnie's black padded leg.

"I think that's a yes?" He chuckled.

"Wow. Thank you." Harrison gushed. "Thank you so much! That would be amazing!" He picked Sophie up and spun her around in the air. "Tomorrow we are going to Disney Land!"

I grinned as I watched them share the happy moment together. More pictures were taken of their giddy reactions. I turned to shake the executive's hands and noticed Fitz standing against the back wall, silently watching everything. He winked at me and left the room.

 **Fitz's POV**  
It was a nice feeling to do something for someone else. Planning ahead for Minnie to look for me in the crowd and take the hand of the child I was holding for the prize was a great feeling. But the best feeling of all, was when Sophia launched herself into my arms all of her own volition. I had only known her a day, but she already had a special place in my heart and I would miss her when Harrison and Leesa took her home. I was glad that the three of them would enjoy a true vacation day before they headed back to New York.

The biggest surprise of the day was Harrison warming up to me. I was expecting him to throw a punch, and I suspected that if he had known what I had done to his sister in my office moments before he showed up, he would have. It was a load off my mind not having to worry about him for the rest of the day. I still had to watch my wandering hands whenever Olivia was nearby, but I no longer felt the need to impress her brother.

I left the four of them in the conference room with the executives to enjoy their excitement and came back to my office to get some actual work done. We only had one more day here before we were back on the road once again and I wanted to use the time wisely here, so I could enjoy my time with Olivia wisely there.

I had literally just sat down in the chair behind my desk and had picked up a file to flip through. It wasn't the same one Olivia had referenced to Harrison earlier, but it was one of my managers. The fact was the manager in the file I was holding was in danger of losing her job, but not for the reasons mentioned. She had only been with the company as a manager for about six months. But in that time, the numbers at her store had plummeted. Absenteeism was high, and a few employees had requested transfers or had quit. It was time to do some investigating and get to the bottom of this.

I had just turned on my computer when someone knocked on my door. I sighed heavily and wondered who the hell was here to bother me now? "Come in" I called out wearily. The doorknob turned and in walked...Olivia?

I stood up and asked, "Is everything alright?"

She closed the door and never stopped walking until she reached me. She didn't speak even when she finally did close the gap. Her right hand went up and to the back of my neck as she got up on her tip toes and latched onto my lips. I had no idea what was going on, but I didn't care at the moment.

I picked her up and set her down on my desk, keeping my hands on her hips as I moved to stand between her legs and my tongue eagerly slid into her mouth. Her hands pulled me closer as our mouths stayed fused together in a hungry and urgent kiss. If anyone wandered into my office this time, they would just have to wait until we were done.

I began to wonder why she had come back here without a word of explanation. My curiosity got the better of me, and I pulled away from her mouth and slowly opened my eyes to look at her. Olivia's lips were swollen, her eyes were half opened, and there was an unmistakable fuck me vibe coming from every pore of her body. I was more than willing to accommodate that need. Again.

I leaned down to capture her mouth once more, but Olivia suddenly scooted off my desk and patted her dress down over her legs. "I know you had something to do with that Disney trip going to Sophia. That was my way of saying thank you."

She headed for the door and I called out, "What will I get if I come up with fast passes for all of the rides in the park?" When she stopped suddenly and turned around to look at me, I shrugged with a grin.

She strode back to where I stood. "That was a really nice thing you did. They haven't been able to take Sophie on vacation yet. Money is tight for them right now. I just wanted you to know that this means the absolute world to them."

She stretched her neck up and I brushed my lips across hers. Somewhere in the sweet kiss, my hand found its way to her cheek. "You're welcome. So, about those fast passes?"

She grinned at me and went back for the door. She had her hand on the doorknob and said from over her shoulder. "They don't need fast passes. They are thrilled just to be going."

"I'd like to see you tonight." I blurted out. "I mean, if you're free?"

"Cant. I've got to get my rest, so I can keep up with Sophia at Disney tomorrow. I'm going with them." My face must have given away my disappointment, because she added, "Remind me to give you a fast pass the second we get into our hotel room the day after tomorrow." She winked at me and left my office, closing the door behind her.

I practically fell back into my chair. That woman was going to be the death of me. I could hardly wait to remind her! I just had to survive the next thirty-six hours. I reluctantly went back to my file.

Ten minutes later, it seemed, I heard a knock followed by "Fitz?"

I looked up from my desk to see Stephen standing in my doorway. "Hey, Stephen." Fucking hell! What now, I silently wondered?

"You got a minute?" He asked.

"Yea. Sure. Come on in." I gestured to one of the chairs across from my desk and he sat down. "What's up?" He immediately pushed up out of the chair and started pacing around the room. I watched him silently, giving him space to think out whatever it was that he had to say.

He went back to the chair, but instead of sitting, Stephen put his hands on the back of it and leaned on it. "I'd like to ask you a question."

I leaned back comfortably in my chair and looked at him. He seemed nervous, and for some reason that put me at ease. "Okay."

"Now don't read too much into this. It's just a question. It's not the end of the world. I'm just curious." Stephen stammered.

"In all the years I've worked with you, I have never seen you this rattled. Whatever it is, just say it." He looked at me for a moment and finally nodded before sitting back down in the chair.

"Is Olivia single?" He asked.

Don't read too much into it, my ass. Stephen had a thing for her and anyone with eyes could see it. I wanted to sit up in my chair, scowl at him, and tell him to get the fuck out of my office. I hated the feeling of possession that came over me. I'd have to think about that and pick it apart later on. Instead, I smiled at him and decided to be a nice guy. "She isn't dating anyone at the moment."

Stephen's grin tripled in size and he made no attempt to mask it. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I asked her the first day we met." That seemed like a long time ago.

His eyes narrowed on me. I couldn't believe it. He actually narrowed his eyes at me as if I had just admitted to him that I'd already seen Olivia naked! "Oh? Why would you do that?"

Ahhh, Stephen. I'm not falling into one of your traps. Honesty was the best policy. "Because we were about to be out on the road and the press would be covering the story, and I wanted to make sure that it wouldn't be an issue for her if she had a boyfriend."

"That makes a lot of sense actually." He went back to his giant sized smile.

Remembering what they say about nice guys, I asked, "Why do you ask." Stephen looked down at his fidgeting fingers for a minute and I'll have to admit that I got a great deal of satisfaction from it. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully and I waited for his reply.

He smiled at me. "Well, she is a very beautiful woman."

And intelligent, fierce, loyal, big hearted, funny, caring, thoughtful, competent, ambitious, and down to earth. But of all those attributes, Stephen chose beautiful. What an asshole. "And?"

He pressed his lips together and his words tumbled out quickly. "And I would very much like to ask her out to dinner."

My nonchalant facade crumbled, and I quickly sat up before I could stop myself. I covered it with a conspiring grin and lied to his face. "I had no idea you were interested in Olivia?"

"She seems pretty special. I was thinking we would make a great merger of our own." He grinned back at me and I felt nauseous.

Deep breaths, Fitz. I took a few and decided to hand him the gun he would eventually shoot himself with. "If that's how you feel, then you should ask her out."

"Yea? I mean, I wouldn't want to make things strange for the two of you on the remainder of your trip."

Strange was the last word I'd use to describe my time with Liv. Stephen would never change that. I shrugged. "If you don't ask her Stephen, you'll never know if she's interested."

He thought about it and nodded, the smile coming back to his face. "You're right. I think I will. I'll ask her out to dinner tonight." He stood up and shook my hand excitedly. "Thanks, Fitz."

"No problem. You'll tell me how it went, right?"

He pointed at me with a smirk. "A gentleman never kisses and tells."

"Truer words have never been spoken." I chuckled. "Good luck."

When he reached my door, Stephen said, "You need housekeeping to come in here tomorrow. I can't put my finger on what that smell is, but it's strong."

I couldn't hold back the chuckle this time. "Will do. I'll call them before I leave later." I looked around the space and my eyes landed on the sofa. "It's probably from being empty for so many weeks?"

He wrinkled his nose. "Yea. Probably. Have a good night." He left my office with a pep in his steps. I wished I had the ability to listen in on their conversation later on when she shot him down.

It was dark outside when I finally did leave the office and headed for home. Roscoe was probably going to be pissed off at me for not spending more time with him. Oh well. He'd be back in the doggie diaper laying on my mother's floor in a semi-coma soon enough. The two of us ate dinner and caught a basketball game on ESPN before finally going to bed.

The next morning, I had decided to follow Olivia's lead and take a skip day as well. I had plans to meet up with the guys after lunch for some outside activity of their choosing. Roscoe and I went through our morning routine together and were eating quietly in the kitchen after I showered our run off. I cooked some eggs and was halfheartedly eating them at the table. I found myself thinking about Olivia and wondering what she was up to. I wasn't going to bother her with phone calls or text messages when this would be her last carefree day with her family for a while. I'll admit that I picked up the phone a few times, scrolled to her name, and started typing a message before I cleared it and put my phone back down.

As if she knew I was thinking of her, my phone dinged and I looked down at it. Olivia had sent me a picture. I opened it immediately to see the entire thing and smiled. It was a photo of Sophia and Liv on the Dumbo ride. Both of them were smiling really big and the wind was blowing through their hair. It was a perfect moment captured and I wasted no time in making it my lock screen photo so I could see it all the time. I sent a reply before I threw my phone back down on the table and proceeded to eat happily without interruption.  
 _Beautiful happy girls. Enjoy your day._

Roscoe and I were out of the car and making our way toward the crazy people I called my friends. Most of them were already on the court, shooting hoops and checking out females. "Look who it is! The world traveler himself." There was some whistling in our direction, and while I grinned and ignored it, Roscoe reveled in it and bounded off for attention.

"Jesus, Grant. You've gotten as fat as your dog!" Matthew joked from the bench as he tied his shoes. "You laying off your morning run now that you're out on the road? Look at that flab." He pinched the non-existent rolls on my side.

"Shut up, man. Not everyone is naturally thin. Some of us have to work on it. And stop pinching me." I replied sarcastically as I set my bag down.

"You're not working very hard are ya?" He asked laughing.

I smirked as I thought about all of the working out I had actually been doing since I'd been out on the road. "Harder."

"That's what she said." Aaron chimed in from the other side of me.

"Dude, no one says that anymore." Mark said, shaking his head. We all chuckled, and then he pointed his finger at me. "But I did catch that smirk, Fitz. Sooo, you wanna tell us what, or rather who, has you working out harder when you're out of town?"

"Fitz is getting the best kind of workouts. Out of town sweat-fests." Paul said with a grin. He proceeded to sexually grind against the gate that surrounded the court and tried to make his voice sound female. "Ohhh, right there big boy. Give it to me now."

Everyone was laughing, and I reluctantly joined in. "Sit down, dumbass. It's nothing like that."

"What is it like then?" Four pairs of eyes bored into me. "There is no way you're not getting laid. Different towns. Different women."

"Not everything in life revolves around sex, Paul."

He stared at me for a minute. "Who are you right now?"

"What? It doesn't!" I chuckled. "I don't have time for women while I'm out there busting my ass for this promotion. It keeps me very busy. Unlike the four of you, who jumped at the chance for me to kick your ass on the court today." Technically, I wasn't lying. I hoped that gave them enough information to drop the subject.

"It's good to know he can still trash talk, even though his game is shit. Let's go ya celibate workhorse." Matthew held out a hand and pulled me up.

We played for a few hours and it felt great. Not just the aspect of being outside and working muscles that didn't get much attention on a jog, but I had missed this annoying foursome. The male comradery was needed more than I realized. The five of us took a break, sitting on the wooden bench, drinking whatever we had brought, and checking our phones. I had a missed call from Olivia about an hour ago. There was no hesitation. I stood up, walked off the court, and called her back, after telling the guys I had to make a call.

"Hi."

Her voice sounded better than I remembered. "Hi. I saw that I missed your call. Is everything okay?"

"You have a bad habit of immediately thinking something is wrong." She chuckled. "Everything is fine."

"Are the four of you having fun at the happiest place on earth? The mice treating you all well?" I asked with a smile.

"Oh my goodness. Yes! The company went above and beyond for the three of them today. Turns out, I'm glad I didn't take you up on your offer for fast passes, because we have walk on passes for whatever rides we want to go on. We've taken pictures with almost every character you can imagine and some I didn't even know existed. Sophie is in Disney heaven right now."

Olivia sounded happy and relaxed. I was glad she had decided to go with the three of them for a fun filled day. "That's great. VIP access for four very special VIP's. You'll let me know when you all get back to the hotel later, right?"

"Actually, that's why I'm calling. Harrison and Leesa are going to keep Sophia out here until the park shuts down at ten. I'm going to leave in about an hour and let them enjoy the rest of their day together. I've had so much fun with them."

"Why do I sense a but coming?" I asked.

"Because you are a wise man. I got a call earlier from Stephen." She left that sentence hanging for a few moments.

I decided to save her and fess up. "He came to talk to me in my office yesterday after everyone had gone home from the testing. He...uhh...he asked about you. Told me he wanted to ask you out and wanted to know if you were dating anyone."

"What?!" She interrupted loudly. "Why am I hearing about this for the first time?"

"Because we didn't talk last night since you went to bed early. And I didn't want to text or call you to interrupt your day with your family. What did he say when you told him no?" I asked with a chuckle. The line was silent, and I wondered if the call had been dropped? "Liv?"

"I'm here. Remember when I said I'm leaving the park in an hour?" She asked.

"Yea. I'm in the middle of a game with the guys, but I should be done soon and after I've gone home and showered, we can meet up somewhere for dinner." I dropped my voice and added a touch of lust to it. "Or, you could come to my place and be dinner?"

"There really isn't an easy way to say this, Fitz." She sounded nervous?

"Just say it. If you'd rather wait until we are out of town again, that's fine. It's been a crazy few days. I completely understand if you want to rest."

"I'm not going back to the hotel to rest. I accepted Stephen's offer."

"Wait. What? Why would you do that?" Now I was the one pacing.

"What was I supposed to say? 'I'm sorry, Stephen. I can't go out with you because I'm currently sleeping with Fitz.' That's not gonna happen."

"Why would you go out with him at all though? You don't have to tell him anything about your personal life. That's why it's called personal, Liv. You could have just said no!" I lowered my voice back to a normal speaking voice. "I'm sorry for shouting. I thought you would have shot him down and that would be the end of it."

Olivia sighed. "I understand why you're upset. And even though we have been enjoying ourselves, we are, by no means, in a committed relationship. It's just really really good sex at the moment. But..."

Something inside me snapped. I never heard her 'but' at the end. Instead I just steam rolled over her with another rant. "You know what? You're right. We aren't in a committed relationship. I don't even know what the fuck this is, but it was starting to feel like something sp... Never mind! Go to dinner with Stephen and have a good time."

"Fitz." She said in a quiet voice. "Let me explain."

"Really, Liv. Enjoy yourself. He really is a great guy. Probably the better guy too. Maybe he'll even get you that promotion you're after?" But she had already hung up on me. I pulled my arm back to throw my phone, but at the last second, thought better of it. What the hell had I just done? Did I really just say all of that batshit craziness to the woman I had strong feelings for? "FUCK!" I yelled.

I paced for a few more minutes, wishing I had let her explain why she was going on a date with my boss. Maybe she found him attractive? Maybe she wanted to try something different? Who knew? Not me, because I had acted like a huge asshole instead of letting her talk when she asked me to let her. I looked at my phone and thought about calling her back and begging for forgiveness. Then thought fuck that! Then contemplated it again. Jesus, I was stupid! I dropped my arm and turned to make my way back to the court. My four friends were standing against the gate, looking at me. I stopped walking and stood still. They had probably just heard me. Could this day get any worse, I wondered?

"So." Paul said. "It's not a lot of women. Just one woman huh?"

I nodded miserably.

"Sounds like you are really into her, man?" Matthew said. "Does she know you're falling for her?"

I glanced up at him sharply, but he just nodded at me with a sympathetic look on his face.

"But you and your big mouth just fucked that up real good." Aaron added.

"What can I say? I'm a dumbass." I hung my head and felt like shit.

"Yea, but you're our dumbass. And in all the years that we have known you, we have never seen you act like this over a female." Mark chuckled. "So, we'll help you unfuck it up."


	14. Friends and Family

Friends and Family

 **Fitz's POV**  
I woke up the next morning still feeling like shit. I laid in my bed looking up at the ceiling and wondered how Olivia's date with Stephen had gone last night? I wondered where they went to eat, if she had enjoyed herself, and most importantly, if he had kissed her? I knew I didn't have a right to ask her any of those things, but I could still think about them.

I replayed yesterday's phone conversation with Olivia in my mind once again. It didn't help that it had run on a constant loop in my brain ever since it happened. The phone call stayed at the forefront of my mind while the guys tried to cheer me up by plying me with drinks at a local bar last night. They started out by trying to help me figure out a way to break the ice with Olivia, so we could start a conversation.

"You gotta tell her how you feel, man. There's no reason to hide it. Not from her anyways." Paul had suggested.

"Tell me, Paul." I had asked, turning towards him and taking a sip of my beer. "How do I go about starting that conversation?"

"How the hell should I know? I'm single. This is more up Matt's lane since he's married. Matty! How did you tell your old lady that you loved her?"

"No one said anything about love." I said defensively.

"Shut up. It's obvious." Paul replied. "Matt? A little help here?"

"First of all, I never called Lindsey 'my old lady'. She would have ripped off my balls and fed them to the dog." We all crossed our legs and gave pained expressions at his words. "Second of all, it's really not that difficult. Just tell her how you feel."

"I don't know how I feel. That's the problem!" I supplied.

"Bullshit! When you ended that call, you looked like a lost little puppy whose owner had just left you on a dead end street and drove off." Matt said.

"Enough with the dog references, already." Aaron suggested with a dramatic eye roll.

"How does it make you feel when you think about never seeing her again?" Matt asked.

I paled and felt nauseous. I couldn't imagine what life would be like not being able to see Olivia ever again. It wasn't a thought I even wanted to entertain for this conversation.

He pointed a finger at me. "Exactly! Now whatever just ran through your mind, that's what you tell her."

"But I don't know how to even begin to tell her that?"

"Look, if you have feelings for this girl, you've gotta tell her soon. Or some other dude will, man."

"Yea," chuckled Mark. "Like your boss."

"Shut up, Mark!" The other three shouted.

"Show us a picture of her. So, we can get a better sense of what kind of girl we are talking about." Matt encouraged.

I pulled out my phone and showed them the lock screen. And that's when the ribbing started.

"This chick is into YOU?"

"Holy shit! She's hot!"

"How'd a girl like that even look twice at you?"

"Tell her soon, man. A girl like that is not gonna stay single for long."

As the night wore on though, and my sad self wasn't getting any happier, they tried unsuccessfully pushing me onto other women. I couldn't stop thinking about the things I had said to Olivia no matter how hard I tried. At that point it was like a broken record and I cringed every time I got to the part where I shouted at her. They brought me home and dumped me into my bed alone, leaving me in my misery.

I rubbed my hands over my stubbled face and yawned, but still didn't get up. I wished I could just go back to sleep. I attempted it. I rolled over, slid my hands under my pillow, and closed my eyes. Three minutes later, my eyes popped open and I groaned in frustration. My internal early morning alarm clock wasn't going to let me sleep any later. It didn't help that I kept hearing Olivia's voice saying, 'Let me explain'.

I sighed loudly and sat up on the edge of the bed. Roscoe looked up at me quietly from his doggie bed on the floor. "I am a fucking idiot, Roscoe." He wasn't used to being in bed this late either and wagged his tail at me.

"I know you'll be disappointed, but we are not going to run this morning. I don't feel like it today." He barked at me once and the tail wagging became more intense. I stood up and made my way to the bathroom. "You could have put up a little bit of a fight." I said to him before closing the door.

The shower made me feel a little more human but did little to improve my overall mood. I got dressed and ate breakfast in the kitchen with Roscoe in silence. I checked my phone as I ate and wasn't surprised that I had no missed calls or texts from her. That told me that Olivia had no interest in discussing any of yesterday's ugliness.

I scrolled through my call history, hoping to not find any excessive and surely pathetic calls I didn't remember making from the previous night. I only saw the two calls I did remember making to her. There was one missed call from a number I didn't recognize, but I quickly passed over it. I looked through my text messages for the same thing. No drunk texts. That was some comfort. I saw a read text from the same unknown number as the missed phone call. I opened it and saw that it only said, 'Fitz?' Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I vaguely remembered reading it last night, but since I didn't know who it was from and wasn't in the mood to care, it had gone unanswered. I shrugged and deleted it.

I called a taxi after mom came to pick up Roscoe and washed my dishes while I waited for it to arrive. When I heard a horn, I double checked the back door to make sure it was locked and then grabbed my bag, went out the front door, and got inside the yellow car. Two minutes into the ride it began to rain. Great.

I was supposed to be sharing this ride to the airport with Olivia. But, from the lack of communication from her I decided she was no longer interested in sharing a space with me and I left without her. The small confines of a cab, shared for forty-five minutes was nothing in comparison to sitting side by side in an airplane on a flight that lasted over two hours. It would be interesting to say the least.

As I sat in the back seat looking out the rain streaked window, pondering that damned phone call again, several things came to mind. I had been wrong for yelling at Olivia. There was no way around that one. I owed her an apology for it, simple as that. But she had been wrong too. Whatever her reasons were for accepting Stephen's offer, she should have said no. She knew he was interested in her. As inappropriate as it was for him to act out on those feelings, she was also wrong for accepting.

Of course, the guilt for me on that one was two fold. I had encouraged Stephen to ask Olivia out in the first place – joyously thinking she was going to say no. The other part was the fact that I had already slept with her. That was highly inappropriate. And while I felt no guilt over the latter, I felt like an ass for the former. Stephen was my boss, and I shouldn't have encouraged him to pursue Olivia.

It would take a lot longer than the twenty minutes I had left of this ride to dissect the fact that Olivia and I weren't in a committed relationship. Those words had stung a lot when I heard them said over the phone. But as my mind was cleared from a lot of the guilt by reasoning some of it away, I realized that it was true. Olivia and I weren't exclusive. We weren't even a couple. We were just two adults who were having consensual sex. Really great consensual sex. That was about it. I had feelings for Olivia but didn't feel confident enough to share those feelings with her for fear of rejection.

By the time I arrived at the airport, I was feeling a lot lighter from the unnecessary baggage of guilt I had been carrying for the past, I glanced at my watch, nineteen hours. I had over reacted when she told me she was accepting Stephen's offer and I had imagined that things between us were more than they actually were. I was man enough to admit my mistakes and planned to ask Olivia to forgive me for both of those things. The rest of it was on her and I refused to carry it any longer. I paid the cab driver, slipping him an extra ten for not being chatty with me and unknowingly allowing me a quiet self therapy session in the back seat. With both of my bags in hand, I strode toward my gate.

I didn't spot Olivia in the wide open waiting area at the airport. That seemed strange at first because Olivia was nothing but punctual. Maybe she had overslept from an exhausting night? I quietly shook my head, not wanting to even entertain intimate thoughts of her with another man. I glanced up at the digital board behind the small counter and saw that our flight was right on schedule to leave. According to the clock next to it, that meant we would be departing in thirty minutes. I wondered where Olivia was?

My eyes went from the clock, to scanning the waiting area, and back to the clock again. The tall smiling blonde behind the counter announced that first class could now board the plane. That was us. I watched several people stand up and make their way toward the open door that led to the airplane. They had laptop bags and small carryon straps hanging from their shoulders and walked with purpose. I knew I needed to get up and head that way too, but again my thoughts went to Olivia's whereabouts.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and was about to reluctantly call her when it started chiming and Abby's name filled my screen. I answered immediately. "Hello?"

"Hey. I'm guessing you're at the airport and have already been told the news?"

I immediately felt a sense of dread but didn't know why. I stood up and dropped my bag onto the chair I had just been sitting in. "What news?"

"Have you heard from Olivia today?" There was something in her voice that made the sense of dread inside of me grow by leaps and bounds.

"No. Why? What's the matter?" I was racing toward panic at this point.

"She got a call late yesterday afternoon from back home. One of her brothers was in a car accident. She caught a red eye back to New York to be with him."

I stood there dumbstruck for a moment before pulling myself together and letting a small amount of anger fill me. I opened my mouth, but then remembered how well that had turned out for me the day before and instead took a deep breath and released it before speaking. "That's terrible. Is he okay?"

"Cyrus called Stephen and updated him a few minutes ago. He's going to be fine, but he's pretty badly banged up. I think it really shook her up since her parents died in a car accident years ago. You know?"

"I'm sure she was a mess until she got there. I wonder why she didn't call me and let me know herself? That's so strange." The anger was still simmering under the surface. Olivia could very well have even sent a simple text message if she didn't want to talk to me, to let me know what had happened. I didn't understand why she hadn't?

"Apparently, in her mad rush to get inside the taxi from her hotel, she left her phone on the trunk while putting her bag inside. By the time she had realized it was missing, and made the driver go back, it had been run over several times. Poor girl. News that a family member has been hurt is terrible, but seeing your phone destroyed is another level of fucked up altogether. Anyways," She chirped. "That means that you are going to be doing the road trip solo for a while."

I rolled my eyes at Abby's conclusion that a ruined phone was much worse than bad news about a family member. Poor Olivia. She had experienced an even worse night than I did. A question ran through my mind and before I could think about it, I asked. "How do you know all of this happened if Olivia's phone was destroyed? I know you said that Cyrus told Stephen, but how did Cyrus get the message in the first place?"

"The taxi driver was nice enough to let Olivia use his phone. That's rare, huh?"

"Yea. Rare." I mumbled, as my mind raced in a different direction. "I'd like to request to put the next stop on hold and fly to New York. Just for a day. I think Olivia could use a friend?"

"Request denied. Fitz, you've got to keep going with your trip. This is going to sound shitty of me and low, but Olivia is out of the picture right now. It's your time to shine without the hindrance of her light blaring in your face. Take advantage of that! Besides, Olivia has two other brothers, as I'm sure you are aware from your background search of her. She won't be all alone. She'll be fine."

"Abby." I began. I hated that my voice sounded pathetic, but I couldn't control it.

"No, Fitz. Get your ass on the plane and do your job. There is nothing you could do for Olivia even if you were there, besides hold her hand and listen to beeping machines in the hospital. You are of much more use staying here and doing your job. Besides, I think a little space between the two of you right now might be a good thing?"

"What the hell does that mean?" I demanded. Heads turned in my direction, but I didn't care. If Abby had a concern, she should address it.

"Stop playing dumb. You know exactly what the hell I mean. I saw the looks between both of you at the toy testing. I'm not stupid. Get on the plane, Fitz, and get some space and perspective. Bye."

She ended the call and I shook my head in frustration. I slid my phone back into my pocket, picked up by bags, and headed for the door to board the plane. Once I was in my seat, I replayed the conversation with Abby in my mind. At this point, I wished someone would run over my phone for all of the damned trouble it was causing me mentally.

Several things that Abby had said stuck out in my mind. She said that Cyrus had gotten a call from Olivia late yesterday afternoon. I wondered about the timing of the phone call, her date with Stephen, and her departure. I didn't want to think about it too much or make assumptions based on an Abby-like giddiness, so I pushed it to the back of my mind. But it was very interesting to me.

Abby had mentioned that she had seen the looks between Olivia and I at the toy testing. I thought back to the event just two days ago but couldn't remember seeing her there at all. I knew she had been present because Harrison had gotten directions to my office from her. I wondered what exactly she had seen. Of course, I was never going to ask her that, but I wondered. I wasn't controlling myself around Olivia as well as I thought I had been. That was a revelation.

She also said that Olivia had called Cyrus from the cab driver's cell phone. Maybe it was coincidence, or a misdial, but I had a missed call as well as a text message from the same unknown number last night. What were the chances it was Olivia trying to get in touch with me from the same borrowed phone? Maybe she had tried to reach out to me and I missed it because I was drowning in my own despair?

There was only one way to know. I pulled out my cell phone and went to my missed calls. There in red was the unknown number. Just as I was about to touch it and make the call, hoping to hear that I had reached a cab driver who wanted to know who the hell I was, the flight attendant touched my shoulder and said, "We are preparing for takeoff. You'll need to put your phone away until we land, Sir."

Well damn! I begrudgingly smiled at her and put my phone away. It would be the first call I made as soon as we were wheels down.

 **Olivia's POV**  
I woke up early the next morning feeling like shit. I lifted my head from the from the barely padded arm rest on the visitor chair I had fallen asleep in. I quickly realized I had a kink in my neck from sleeping so awkwardly in the uncomfortable chair. My hand flew up to the back of it as pain speared from the side of my neck. The thin blanket I had received from one of the nurses did little to keep me warm in the chilly room.

My eyes went to my younger brother, sleeping peacefully in the narrow hospital bed in spite of the constant beeping from random wires that he was hooked up to. He looked helpless and so much younger than his thirty-one years. His face had multiple bruises from the airbag that had deployed from the steering wheel. He had a rough looking burn from the seatbelt that ran diagonally from his collar bone down his chest. Some of the bruises were already turning ugly shades of purple and yellow. I was thankful he had been wearing his seatbelt. He obviously had learned something from their parent's fatal accident years ago.

Upon arrival, I had asked the doctor what had happened. She explained to me that the sun had temporarily blinded the other driver, and while he groped for his sunglasses, his car crossed the yellow line and hit her brother. The doctor said he was lucky to have just gotten banged up, but that he was going to be fine. He just needed a lot of rest, so his body could heal. I folded the thin blanket with my eyes on my brother. Marcus always was the luckiest of the four of them.

It had started when she and her brothers were younger. All three of the boys were daredevils, challenging each other constantly with some wild new dare. None of them ever backed down from a dare. I rolled my eyes now as I recalled some of the stupid things my brothers had done in the name of a Pope dare.

There was the time that Harrison and Eric had dared Marcus into riding down the street with them in a "borrowed" shopping cart. And while our family lived on a street that didn't get a lot of traffic, it still got some. The three brave brothers climbed into the metal shopping cart somehow, with Marcus gleefully in the middle of them. Harrison, being the ring leader, instructed Eric to hang his leg over the side of the metal on wheels and push them off while he did the same on the other side. They looked like idiots, and I wondered to this day how Harrison had been able to father Sophia after that.

Before long, the three of them were flying down the street, wheels wobbling in all directions, boys safely squatting inside and laughing like lunatics. And then the buggy hit a good sized rock and the three of them went flying in the air. Harrison had broken his arm, Eric had broken his collar bone, and Marcus escaped without so much as a single scratch.

Rowan and Maya had quietly taken them to the emergency room to get checked out, and casts put on the broken parts. But when they got home, the three of them were sat down and given every threat under the sun over their idiotic behavior. The boys were sent to bed without dinner and strictly warned not to do anything as ridiculous ever again. Once the three of them were in their beds, however, the snickering and plans to do it better and faster began.

"Hey, Sis. How are you doin'?"

Startled, I turned to the door and was greeted by Harrison's smiling face. He had a cup of Starbucks in his hand and held it out in my direction. I smiled back and gratefully took the paper cup from his hand. "Oh my god, the good stuff! Thank you so much." I looked over at Marcus and pulled his blanket up over his chest. "I'm doing fine. He slept good last night."

Harrison's eyebrows went to the ceiling. "If you know how well he slept, that means you didn't sleep much at all. "

"Harrison, I said I'm fine. Besides, it's hard to sleep in this meat locker in that poor excuse for a chair." I took a sip of the coffee while my brother watched me. "What?" I demanded.

He gestured to the wall behind me. "You know you can turn the heat up on the thermostat over there, right?"

I sighed. "Of course, I know that." I hadn't even seen the thermostat when I arrived, and the temperature of the room had been the last thing on my mind last night.

"Has the doctor been by yet?" He asked.

"Not yet. It's still early. The nurse said they usually make their rounds in the morning though. I'm going to wait for them to see if there's any change."

"You need to go home and go to sleep for a while." He advised.

"You need to stop telling me what to do. The last time I checked, I'm a grown ass woman." I was bitchy from not having more than two hours of sleep the night before. And the phone call with Fitz yesterday afternoon was still in my mind, but I had pushed it deep down to deal with Marcus for the time being. "I'm sorry, Harrison."

He shrugged. Harrison was used to his sister's mood swings since she had become a teenager. "Don't worry about it. Why aren't you answering your phone, by the way?"

I chuckled and retrieved the smashed device from my purse. I sadly held it up between my thumb and index fingers. "This is why I've been calling you from the phone in here."

"Well, damn. What happened to it?" Harrison asked, making a face.

"In my mad rush to get to the airport, I left it on the trunk of the cab. When I discovered it was missing and asked him go back, I found it lying on the street. It was crushed beyond recognition. I've got to get a new one today." Another thing to add to my list.

"The two of you are loud as hell! Can't a guy get some sleep around here?" A grumpy voice asked. "I practically died."

Harrison and I snapped our heads to the bed. Marcus had his eyes opened to slits and he looked genuinely pissed off. "You are the luckiest bastard I have ever known." Harrison said with a chuckle.

"How are you feeling?" I asked as I sat on the edge of his bed.

"Like shit. Everything hurts. And I'm starving. Did you bring me any food, big brother?" Marcus asked in a pitiful voice.

"I didn't know if you would be awake or had been put on a special diet or something."

"What?" Marcus asked incredulously.

"Man, I don't know!" Harrison spewed. "No, I didn't. Get off my ass."

"As soon as the doctor clears you for food, I'll go get you whatever you want." I offered with a smile.

Marcus smiled up at me. His pitiful voice was sugary sweet. "Really? I've missed you, Liv. You know you're my favorite."

Marcus calling me Liv reminded me of Fitz. I needed to talk to him, but it would have to wait until the doctor had visited, and my phone had been replaced. I shook off thoughts of him and took another sip of coffee.

"How's the patient doing this morning?" A voice from the door said.

"Speak of the devil" Marcus said with a smile. "We're waiting for you to say the word, so I can eat something. Please say the right words, Doc."

The doctor stood in place and looked concerned as he looked through Marcus' chart. "It could be a serious brain injury?"

"What?" Marcus demanded.

"Nah, he's always been a dumbass, Doc." Harrison supplied.

"A little doctor humor." He said looking at Marcus, who did not find it humorous. "Tough crowd. Okay, let me look him over and see how he's doing."

Ten minutes later, the doctor with the funny bone explained to us that Marcus had some bruises, but nothing was broken, and that he would be fine. He'd need to take it easy for a few days, and to go directly to the ER if he experienced any headaches lasting more than a few hours. He could go home as soon as his papers were signed. The three of us breathed a sigh of relief, thanked him, and waited for them.

Of course, he put up an argument when the nurse instructed him that he would be riding downstairs and out the front door of the hospital in a wheelchair. She wasn't caving though and stood there with her hands on her hips until his growling stomach got the better of him and he angrily plopped down in the chair.

I got Marcus to his house and helped him inside. When he was settled on the couch, I asked, "Will you be okay for an hour or so? I've got to replace my phone and make some calls."

Marcus smiled at me. "You fed me and got my meds filled at the pharmacy. I'm going to take a little nap right here. I'll be fine." He yawned loudly and turned on his side.

"Do you need me to pick anything up for you on my way back? I won't be gone long. I promise."

"I'm fine, Liv." He looked at me from over his shoulder. "I didn't say thank you for everything. Leaving your job in California to come babysit me and everything else you've done for me. I appreciate it and I love you. Don't tell the guys though because they will give me a hard time about it, okay?"

"It'll be our secret. Your pills are on the kitchen counter. I'll be back as soon as I can. Get some rest, Marcus." I pulled the throw over him and left his apartment.

Finally! I had my new phone and was on my way back to Marcus' apartment to crash for a little while. The phone calls I had to make were important. I needed to call Cyrus to update him on Marcus's condition and let him know when I would be coming back to work, and I had to call Fitz to try to straighten things out with him. But I didn't have it in me to make either call right now. I needed sleep first or nothing I said would make any sense to either one of them. I let myself in with the spare key I've had for years and tiptoed to his bedroom, where I fell face down on his bed and was out like a light.

I was woken up by my little brother's whining voice. "Liiiiiiv? Where are my pills? My head is killing me." I jumped up off his bed and squinted in the dark room. "Oh! You're up."

"I am now" I grumbled. "I told you before I left that your pills are on the kitchen counter."

"Shit. I'm sorry. I was well on my way to sleep when you left." He said.

"It's ok. What time is it?" Where was my phone so I could check the time?

"It's a little after five." He said.

"Five o'clock? Wow. I was really out!" I made my way to the door and he followed me with the blanket still draped over his shoulders. "Let's get you some medicine and then I'll make dinner."

In the kitchen I held out two Ibuprofen, but he just stood there looking at me. "You trying to kill me or something? You know you can't cook for shit."

"Fine! I'll have something delivered." He took the pills. "What do you want to eat?"

A knock on his front door sounded before the door opened and in walked Eric, Harrison, Leesa, and Sophia. Eric was holding two very large white take out bags. Marcus left me for the food immediately. "Heyyyy! What's in the bag?" He didn't even bother acting like he cared about the people standing near the doorway.

Eric gave him a look and held firmly onto the bags. "Man, your family is here. Act right! Give hugs and then we'll eat. Who raised you?" He carried the bags into the kitchen where he and I shared a chuckle and a high five for putting Marcus in his place.

"Sophie! You get cuter every time I see you. Good thing You look like your momma and not your ugly daddy." He chuckled, and Harrison reached up to pop him in the head before Marcus quickly ducked and pointed at it. "Man, NO! I have a headache from..." He cut his eyes to Sophie, who was watching him intently. "The bad place. I just took some Ibuprofen, but it hasn't kicked in yet."

Leesa looked at Harrison with an annoyed expression. "Your brother was just in an accident. Leave him alone."

"Yea! Leave me alone! Thank you, Leesa. You're my favorite sister in law." Marcus held out his arms and she hugged him warmly.

Leesa cooed, "Of course I am." Marcus flipped his brother the bird with a teeth baring smile from behind his sister in laws back before pulling away from the hug. "Let's go get you something to eat."

Everyone sat at the tiny table and made plates of the Chinese food Eric had brought. The conversation was lively, and the laughs were plentiful. It felt like old times having all six of us together. It had been a while since that had happened and the guilt of it weighed on my mind.

I sat quietly at the table and watched Eric holding Sophia while the two of them had a very serious conversation about her recent trip to Disney Land as she picked unwanted items out of her Chinese food. Harrison and Leesa were holding hands on top of the table while Leesa laughed at Marcus' basketball team picks. I hated that it had taken an accident to bring us all together, but I was thankful that it had. I didn't realize how much I had missed my family until this moment.

"Liv? You okay?" Eric asked me.

I smiled brightly and brushed away the lone tear that had escaped from my eye. "I'm fine. Let's don't wait until one of us gets hurt to get together again. Please."

Everyone stopped eating and stared at me. "We just got together..."

"At Christmas time." I finished. "That was too long ago. We're family and I'd like for us to get together at least once a month. Something simple like dinner. We can take turns hosting. It's important."

"Liv's right." Leesa said. "And if you two don't start dating and bring some more women into this family the two of us are going to play match maker soon."

"Uh uh!" Eric said firmly. "See, that right there is not gonna happen. You two can't even hook up a DVD player. You're not about to try to hook us up with females."

"Right! " Marcus joined in. "We don't need your help in that department."

"Great. We expect to meet at least one date – male or female by the time summer ends." Leesa threatened sweetly. "Come on, Liv. I'll give you a hand with these dishes."

The three men stared at us in total silence for a good sixty seconds. "Did your wife just put a timeline on our dating life?"

"Yea. And if I were the two of you, I'd be producing some warm bodies soon. Or the two of them are going to start coming up with their own theories as to why you're still single. The Pope name doesn't need that kind of black mark next to it." Harrison informed them.

"Welcome to two thousand eighteen, Harrison. Being gay isn't a black mark." Eric threw into the conversation. "But for the record, I'm not gay.

"I wasn't referring to that, you dumbass."

"What are you talking about then?" Marcus gestured with his hands.

"Erectile dysfunction." Harrison said with a grimace.

All three male heads snapped to where the two women stood washing dishes. "They are ugly enough to spread such a thing too. I'll hire a woman by the end of the summer if I have to." Marcus whispered.

"Make sure she's got a friend." Eric suggested. "Just in case."

The kitchen was cleaned up and everything was put back into its place. In fact, the place looked cleaner than before I had arrived somehow. The six of us shared hugs and promised to get together soon. Sophie was asleep on her dad's shoulder, but aunt Wib had to have kisses from her pudgy cheek, in spite of Harrison's threats to leave her there if I woke his daughter up.

It was quiet in the apartment again. Marcus looked as tired as I felt. I helped him get settled into his bed, after promising that I would be fine on the sofa. I told him I was going to take a bath and make some calls, but that I would see him in the morning. I put a glass of water and two of his pills on the bedside table in case he woke up in pain.

I soaked in the tub for a while and let the stress of the past twenty four hours roll off my body. I noticed the fading marks on my hips that Fitz had left during our enthusiastic hotel time together. I missed him and wanted to talk to him. To set things right and explain a few things I knew he didn't understand; mostly because he completely shut down after he heard that I had accepted Stephen's date. I wondered if he would let me explain this time?

I was exhausted by the time I got out of the bath, but as soon as I got my pajamas on I called Cyrus to let him know that I would be back to work later in the week. He was oddly understanding and actually sweet about it. I instantly became suspicious about it, but let it go for now.

I went into the kitchen to make myself a cup of hot tea and carried the steaming mug into the living room. I got myself situated on the sofa, under the blankets, before I called Fitz. The time zone difference was mentally calculated as I took my first sip. I touched his name in my contacts before I could chicken out. My heart started hammering the moment I heard it ringing. Maybe I shouldn't have called him? What the hell was I going to say to him?

Second ring

Maybe this was a bad idea?

Third ring.

And then he answered. He sounded a little winded. "Liv?"

I smiled big at that one word. He didn't call me Olivia or Miss Pope. He had called me Liv and it gave me hope. His rich baritone voice warmed me instantly, and I set the mug down - no longer needing it's warmth. All of my fears and worries melted away in an instant and I knew I had made the right decision to call Fitz. We had some big things to talk about, but I felt more at ease about all of that now too. I missed him like crazy in that moment, but before all of that quickly flew from my mouth, I simply said, "Hi."


	15. Just Friends, Right?

Just Friends, Right?

 **Olivia's POV**  
I sat on a plane headed back to California as uncontrollable excitement rushed through my veins. I was barely able to sit still in my seat and mentally willed the plane to go faster. I didn't know if I was more anxious to leave New York because I was leaving my nursing duties behind or the fact that I was headed to Fitz?

It had been four days since he had the accident, but Marcus was healing like a champ. And while he still had the marks on his body from the accident, you'd never guess it had happened in the first place. He hadn't experienced any headaches and had been cleared to return to his own job on Monday morning. It was great news, and I remember breathing a sigh of relief knowing there wouldn't be any lasting problems for him. Harrison and Eric promised to check in on him and keep me updated if anything changed.

My conversation with Fitz a few days ago had gone really well and we had talked for hours about everything that had been on both of our minds. We got everything out in the open. Some of it was hard to hear and some of it was hard to say. But we decided that honesty was the best policy and that even if it was difficult, we would speak our truth to each other no matter what.

I glanced out the window from my seat on the plane and stared at the white puffy clouds that seemed to be floating beside me. I felt as light and carefree as they looked and that was so much better than what I had been feeling over the past four days. I found it ironic that one phone call had almost destroyed things, and another one seemed to mend them. I thought back to the night I gathered my courage and called him.

"Hi."

"Hi." He had exhaled loudly on the phone. "I've been worried about you. Are you alright? How's your brother?"

Somehow Fitz had heard about Marcus and his accident the same day it happened. And he'd been worried about us. That was sweet. I wondered how he had heard the news but didn't ask him. "We're both fine, thank you. He has some bruises and a nasty seatbelt burn, but he's going to be fine."

"I'm glad to hear that. Have you gotten any sleep at all since you got there?" He asked.

"I got a few hours off and on at the hospital and then crashed when I got Marcus home earlier. I'm still pretty tired, but I wanted to call you before I went to bed."

"I'm glad you did. I've wanted to talk to you ever since yesterday afternoon but was afraid you wouldn't want to speak to me." He was quiet for a while and I figured he was choosing his words. "I acted like a jerk. I said so many things that were reprehensible and...no matter what I say I can't take them back."

It sounded like he had been beating himself up over the whole thing. I had done my fair share of that too. "Fitz" I said softly.

"No. I need to get this off my chest and tell you what's been going through my mind. I'm sorry that I yelled at you. That was childish and completely uncalled for. You didn't deserve that and out of everything that I owe you an apology for, that is what I regret the most. You wanted to speak to me and I shut you down, never giving you the opportunity. I was wrong for over reacting when you told me you were going out with Stephen. It wasn't any of my business and I'm sorry. And lastly, I'm sorry for meddling in your personal life. I never should have had a conversation with my boss about you for twisted gain, knowing how he feels about you and having a brief history with you myself. I was way out of line and I'm sorry, Olivia."

He really had thought about this a lot by the sounds of it. And it seemed to have weighed heavily on his mind ever since it happened. I could relate because I had been doing a lot of thinking about it as well. I wasn't blameless in this situation and I knew I owed him an explanation. "I shouldn't have accepted Stephen's offer to go out in the first place."

"He didn't do anything inappropriate did he?" Fitz asked with new curiosity. "Sorry. I mean, it's none of my business, I know that, but if he did something he shouldn't have, I hope you set him straight?"

"He didn't get the chance to." Was all I said.

"What do you mean?" He asked. I don't know why but his question made me smile.

"I mean, I got the call about my brother and I cancelled on Stephen. We never went out. And we're not going to in the future either." I knew Fitz would need more information than that, but now I needed a minute to get my thoughts together.

"You didn't go to dinner with him because you had to leave town for an emergency. I don't understand why you wouldn't just arrange a raincheck though? He's actually a really nice guy."

"Fitz?"

"Yea?"

"Shut up. I accepted his offer to dinner because I wanted to throw off any suspicion of what was going on between us. That was the only reason I agreed to go out with him. I'm not interested in Stephen at all. "

He slowly repeated my words. "You're not interested in Stephen?"

"No. I never have been. If I wanted to date him I would have made my move on day one when you threatened to leave me at the office with him when my tire was flat. In case you missed it, I got the hell out of there as quick as I could without looking like a cling on." I smiled at the recalled memory.

"You totally came across as clingy."

I laughed at his quick humor. "I did not! I'll have you know I have never been clingy. Ever."

"There's a first time for everything isn't there? That was your day. I didn't mind though."

"You didn't? I mean, not that I'm admitting to being clingy." This was the best conversation we had ever had. It was so refreshing to just talk openly, and I was enjoying every second of it. Even if I felt a little like a high school girl.

"Of course, I didn't mind. I had just talked a beautiful woman into going to dinner with me. It was very strange, because until that moment, I didn't want to spend more time with you than absolutely necessary. But there I was asking, and you jumped at the chance to go. It was very good for my male ego."

Was he flirting with me? A smile crossed my lips at the revelation that he was. I didn't think we'd be able to get back to this place again. I decided to flirt back. A little bit. "Ahh yes. That already too big male ego. See, if I had known all of this I would have..."

"You would have what?"

"Wait. Why didn't you want to spend time with me?"

"No, no, no. You were going to tell me what you would have done differently."

"Uh uh. I want to know why you didn't want to spend more time with me than absolutely necessary? I couldn't have been that terrible? You didn't even know me." I couldn't wait to hear the answer to this one.

"You were the competition. I didn't want to know you. You were after my job."

"Your job?" I asked with sarcasm. "Did you really just say that I was after your job?"

"Uhh yes. It was my job until you showed up with your intelligent brain and take charge manner. That was when I had to step up my game. I didn't mind though because you weren't rude or mean spirited about it. You kept things very professional. Well, until..."

"Until when?" I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear him say when things had turned personal between us. I was ready for things to be personal again. I waited for a while as the silence on the line became too much. "Fitz? Until when?"

"Until we made them personal. I'm sorry if that made things difficult in any way for you."

I closed my eyes and prayed that he didn't mean what it sounded like he was saying. I couldn't help myself from asking, for my own piece of mind. "Do you regret it? What happened between us?"

"No." He replied quickly. "I probably should, but I don't. I would do it all over again. And maybe I shouldn't say that. I'm not saying it with any expectation from you. I'm just explaining how I feel."

"I don't regret it either." It felt good to say that out loud to him. To get that off my chest. I hoped it alleviated some guilt he may be dealing with. We both took a minute in silence to process what had just been said out loud.

"Hey, Liv, are you gonna tell me what you would have done differently if you had known that I didn't want to spend time with you on that first day?"

I was thankful he didn't let us dwell on the magnitude of what we had just admitted. I could practically see his smile through the phone line and a big one crossed my face too. "I would have gone shoe shopping with Abby and ditched your ass." When he laughed loud and long, I knew we were okay again. "That probably would have been the best idea, knowing how suspicious she is of the two of us now. But she's not the only one."

"She definitely thinks she knows something. Who else is suspicious though?"

He sounded genuinely confused and I couldn't believe that he had really missed so many little things. "Cyrus, for one. He's old school though, so he thinks I'm interested in any man that I talk to for more than ten minutes. He has plainly said on the phone to me several times, that he thinks something is going on between us. And he's never been around us in person. Abby might not have proof, but she knows we had sex. That girl has high frequency radar for pheromones or something, but she definitely knows."

"How do you know?" He asked.

"At the toy testing? She was watching us like a hawk from across the room. She had laser focus too. She saw every look on our faces, every touch, the flirting we were trying to hide, everything."

"Wow. She's even better than I give her credit for. I asked her yesterday if I could push todays visit back a day and fly to New York to be with you and your family, but she flatly refused. She said that I needed to get some perspective. She also said I needed to shine bright now that you aren't in the picture and all that crazy shit. She also said you and I needed some space."

I missed the second half of whatever he had just said. "You wanted to come to New York?"

"Of course. I thought you could use a friend, and even though I fucked up everything else, I thought...hoped, that we could still be friends? I wanted to be there for you. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to be."

I felt the tears gathering in my eyes before they even fell down my cheeks. He had wanted to drop everything and come support me in a difficult time. I couldn't believe it. I quickly wiped my eyes and cleared my throat. "I don't know what to say. Thank you. The fact that you wanted to come here and be an emotional support is amazing."

"I felt like it was the least I could do. But I couldn't even do that."

"Well, Abby was never going to let you drop your job when you could be out there shining brightly without me in your way." I said sarcastically with a chuckle.

"It's all about the job with her."

"So, did you? Shine brightly without me?"

"Oh yea. I killed it. I encouraged the group, ran the numbers, hell, I even talked to the staff on the floor, just like I've seen you do a million times. You would have been proud."

"Wow. I am impressed." And I was.

"It wasn't the same though. I..." He sighed over the line. "I missed you. I missed having you there to calm my nerves on the way to the store, I missed seeing you connect with people in the way only you can, and I missed talking to you afterwards about how it went."

"You missed having me there to set up the food. Be honest." I said with a smile.

"Well, yea. That too." He admitted with a laugh. "But I just missed you."

"I'm glad it went well for you. I didn't doubt you could do it yourself and do it great." I decided to make an admission of my own. "I missed you too."

"You did?" He asked quietly.

"Yea, I really did. I'm so sorry for all the craziness that came from our last phone call. I never intended for things to blow out of proportion like they did. I should have explained myself better and why I was doing it. I'm very sorry that I hurt you." It felt good to say that to him too.

"We both blew it out of proportion, Liv. Can we just move on from it now? I'd really like to be friends again."

He sounded so sincere that my heart melted a little bit. Partly in gratitude for him taking equal part in the blame, and partly because he wanted to be friends. It wasn't what I wanted, but it was a good starting place for us. "Friends would be good." I yawned loudly and then giggled. "I'm sorry. I think I'd better get some real sleep now. I'm wiped out."

"You've had a busy and emotional twenty-four hours. You're entitled to be exhausted. Go get some rest. Call me any time. I'll be here."

"I'll call you tomorrow. I'm really glad we cleared the air, Fitz. I hated knowing there were unresolved issues between us." I yawned again, not able to contain it. "I'm so sorry I keep doing that."

"Don't give any of it a second thought. It's settled and I'm glad we got it all out and handled it like adults. Now go to bed. Sleep well, Liv. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Nite, Fitz." I ended the call and held my phone to my chest for a moment. My eyes landed on my mug of forgotten tea that was cold and unnecessary by now. I reluctantly got up, poured it down the drain in the kitchen, and settled myself back on the couch. I was peacefully asleep the moment I closed my eyes.

That was four days ago. As I made my way into the terminal from the plane, I couldn't contain the grin that was on my face. I love my home state of New York, but California had become a home away from home to me over the past several weeks and I was glad to be back.

I was headed to baggage claim to retrieve my suitcase when I spotted a familiar face in the sea of people. I wasn't expecting to see him here. He hadn't said anything about meeting me at the airport when we spoke on the phone earlier this morning, but I was beyond excited to see him. He was holding a small white sign with black lettering, but I couldn't read it for all of the people in the way.

When I got closer, I saw that it read CLING ON POPE. I was still about twenty feet away from him, but I had to stop walking because I was doubled over with laughter. I laughed way too loud and way too long right there in the middle of the airport. When I had myself under control, I stood up and wiped the tears from my eyes and made my way to him.

The happy grin on his handsome face was all the welcome I needed. As I stepped in his direction, he broke into a jog and closed the gap quickly. I really can't explain what happened next or how or even why. Fitz put his arms around me and swung me in a circle in the biggest tightest hug I had ever had. When he put me back on my feet, his arms didn't leave me and mine didn't leave him. We looked at each other and I could tell that he wanted to kiss me. I was willing him to do it.

He pulled me close for another hug and I held on for a moment longer than was friendly. I breathed in his scent that was all male and everything that I had remembered, and so much more. I had missed him a ridiculous amount over the past four days but was thankful for our daily phone conversations. When he eventually pulled away from me, he casually draped his left arm over my shoulder as we walked to baggage claim. He kissed my temple and said, "Welcome back, Liv."

 **Fitz's POV**  
Liv was back in California and everything was right in the world again. There was no awkwardness between us and I was grateful for that. There was the moment I had almost kissed her at the airport when I finally had her in my arms again. I held back knowing she wanted to be friends, but it seemed as if Olivia wanted me to kiss her. I could have imagined it though, and in hindsight, I'm glad I refrained. I didn't want to do anything to screw things up with her again. It felt like we had picked up right where we left off, before all the ugliness happened. We rode to the hotel and got her checked into her own room without incident.

The two of us went to dinner together and talked about everything. Even the things we had already talked endlessly about on the phone over the past few days. Her brother, the store I visited the day before, our bosses, the weather, and so much more. We had our comfortable routine back and I was going to do everything in my power to make sure it stayed that way. Liv as a friend was so much better than no Liv at all.

When we got back to the hotel she asked me to come to her room and catch her up on where we were and where we were headed. I hesitated at first because I didn't want her to think I was too eager to get her alone; even though I was. She picked up on it and said, "Please? I'm so far behind and could use some help getting caught up. I didn't have time to look through anything work related while I was in New York."

I couldn't say no to her. "Fine. But you've got to promise to keep your hands to yourself." Her embarrassed grin told me plenty. She had been thinking about things other than bring friends too. I was not going to be the one to step across the friendship line with her. If she wanted to be more than friends with me, she would have to come to that conclusion all on her own and act on it.

"Really, Fitz?" She asked exasperatedly. "We're just going to be working. We can leave the door open if you prefer? I don't want you to think this is some sneaky attempt for me to steal your virtue or something."

"It's a little late for that, isn't it?" I challenged with a grin. When she said nothing, I squashed the uncomfortable feeling by adding, "I'll go get my laptop in my room. You're in room 666, right?"

She took off her shoe and threw it at me but missed because she was giggling like an insane person. I had missed her giggle. She didn't do it often but when she did, it was one of the cutest sounds I had ever heard. Realizing what she had just done, my eyes went wide, and my mouth hung playfully open at her actions. I went a few feet down the long corridor and picked up her shoe. "I'm so sorry, but Olivia doesn't love you anymore."

She hobbled after me, still laughing, and tried to take it out of my hand. I held it up high over my head where she had no chance of getting it. "Give that back to me!"

"No way! You told me weeks ago that when a woman hits a man with her shoe it means she doesn't love them. I'm not letting you mistreat this shoe just because you have a wild hair up your ass."

She propped her hand on her tiny hip. The same hip that I loved to grip tightly when she was naked as I did incredibly satisfying things to her. The same hip I know I had left fingerprints on from the last time we had sex in my office. My breathing became shallow and I imagined having her on my office sofa. I wanted her so bad right now.

"Fitz? Hello? Earth to Fitz?" Olivia chuckled.

My eyes snapped to hers. She had a hand held out in my direction, waiting for me to give her the shoe back with a defiant look on her beautiful face. I smiled tightly, handed her the shoe, and said, "I'll be back in a few minutes" before turning around and walking away from her. I had to get myself together.

I unlocked the door to my room and went inside, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Being friends with Olivia was going to be harder than I thought. Everything she did was adorable or flirty and all of it made me want her immensely. I couldn't look at her without picturing her naked or remembering things I had done to her or with her while she was naked. Friends don't picture each other naked.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and wondered why I had ever said anything about being friends with her in the first place? That was one of my more stupid ideas and while I was doing my damndest to keep everything friendly, to not go back on my word and fuck up this friendship, my mind had obviously decided it preferred the racier thoughts over the friendly ones.

What made me think the two of us could possibly be friends after having fantastic sex together? I momentarily wondered if I could fake illness to get out of going to her room? Knowing that would bring her to my room to check on me, I took a deep breath, grabbed my computer bag, and reluctantly walked out the door.

I held my clenched knuckles just inches in front of her door. This was not a good idea. My mind wanted to remind me of the last time Olivia and I had been in a hotel room together, but I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and refused to entertain those thoughts. It was hard to keep them out of my brain.

I dropped my hand, stepped away from her door, and began pacing up and down the hall. Maybe if I kept my distance from her it would be alright? If we kept the conversation strictly about work and the store we were visiting tomorrow, we'd be fine? She was going to have to stay the hell away from me though! It had always been hard for me to think straight with her scent nearby. And she couldn't laugh at anything, for any reason, at any time! Olivia's laugh was like an aphrodisiac to me and I knew I would want to be on her in an instant.

I took another deep breath and went back to the door. "This is not going to end well" I muttered before knocking sharply. Olivia answered the door wearing a t-shirt and shorts and I almost turned around and went back to my own room. I refused to look anywhere but her eyes.

"Come on in. I was just looking through the hotel room service menu." She sang from in front of me.

"Why? We just ate dinner." I said with surprise in my voice. I was staring a hole through the back of her head in an effort to avoid looking at her cotton clad ass. Friends don't look at each other's asses. I sat mine down in the closest chair and opened my laptop to keep my eyes busy.

"Dessert" she said as she sat down on her bed. She picked up the menu and handed it to me as she pushed buttons on the hotel phone. "See anything you want?"

Was she serious? The only thing I wanted was talking to me. I called out the first thing my eyes landed on. "Chocolate pie." Shit. That was a bad choice for so many reasons. It sounded dirty to even my ears. Before I could tell her that I didn't want anything at all, she had already placed the order over the phone. I closed my eyes, counted to three, and opened them again to see her staring at me. "I've got money."

"You bought dinner. Dessert is on me." She said with a smile.

I suppressed a groan and nodded as my eyes stayed glued to my computer. I was trying to remember how to turn the damned thing on while trying not to imagine dessert on every sexy inch of Olivia's perfect little body.

"Should be up in about fifteen minutes." She said with a smile as she hung up the phone.

"Okay." Everything that came out of her mouth was a sexual innuendo. My only option was to give one word answers and not think too hard about what she said. I had to veer the conversation back to work. That was a completely non sexual topic. "So, we will leave here sometime around eight. We'll have to stop by the grocery store to get the normal snacks we usually buy. We should be there by nine, set up, and bla bla bla."

"How many employees do they have?" She asked.

"Altogether there are twelve, but there will be three on the floor while we are in the back with the bulk of the staff of this store and the neighboring one. The second store employees will bring the number up to a total of twenty-two. Do you want to address the group or should I?"

"It's up to you. I don't want to shine my bright light in your eyes or anything." She said grinning.

"You're such a smartass. I haven't missed that at all the past four days." I had, but I'd never admit it. "I'll do the group, you do the floor staff beforehand. We'll swap places at the next stop."

"That's fair. What's the manager's name? Franklin? Ferdinand? Frederick?" She chuckled at her own humor.

"You got something against F names?"

Her eyes went to mine and she smiled coyly at me. "Not all of them. Some of them are...nice."

I stared into her chocolate eyes. She most definitely was flirting with me. It needed to stop. I couldn't think straight. "Well, that's a relief; as a man with an F name." I looked at my laptop screen, not to look back over the information. I had committed it to memory. I was mostly trying to give myself a moment to avoid looking at Olivia. "For your information this manager is a female. Her name is Amelia. Amelia McConnell."

"Finally! A woman in charge. I vaguely remember her name when I first glanced at the list of managers. Is she any good at her job?" Olivia inquired.

"Ummm, yea. She's a great manager." I was still looking at my laptop, mostly to avoid looking at Olivia but now it was for another reason altogether. "She runs a tight ship, her numbers are beyond great, her staff love her, and I'm pretty sure she received some type of recognition for what she's done at her store last year or the one before that."

I heard rustling and flicked my eyes up in time to see Olivia move from sitting against the headboard of the bed to laying on her stomach with her knees bent and her little brown feet up in the air. I caught a glimpse of color on her toenails as they moved back and forth. I also saw her mouth move but had no idea what she was saying. I was too busy daydreaming about how easy it would be to get behind her on that bed and push her silky black hair away from her neck, so my mouth could gain access to the soft skin there.

"Fitz?"

God, she turned into putty in my hands when I was in her neck. Of course, my next move would be to pull her tiny cotton shorts down over her perfectly rounded ass, so I could slide right into her. We would be a sweaty, tangled up, contented, groaning mess in no time at all.

"Fiiiiiitz?"

I loved it when she moaned my name. It turned me on like nothing else and made me want to hear it fall from her panting dry lips repeatedly as I continued to drive her to orgasm.

"FITZGERALD GRANT!"

I blinked my eyes and was immediately brought back to reality. A reality where Olivia was sitting up and looking at me with a wrinkled brow and wondering what was wrong with me. "Yea?"

"What the hell was that? You looked like you were a hundred miles away just then?" She accused.

"Sorry. I was right here." There really wasn't any way to explain the images that had just run through my mind, so I didn't even attempt to. "Just thinking."

"About what?" It was obvious that she didn't believe me. I opened my mouth to come up with a well crafted lie when a knock on the door saved me from it. "That's the dessert!" She giddily jumped up off the bed and went to the door while I made a much needed adjustment to my hardening crotch.

Olivia put the chocolate pie in front of me, but I had no interest in it. I just wanted to get the work done so I could get out of Olivia's room. The thoughts running through my head were much worse than I imagined they might be, and it was difficult keeping myself focused on the work. I felt the part of me that was determined to keep things friendly between Olivia and I start to slip some. I recalled how miserable I had been when I thought she had been ignoring my calls and while it bothered me to think about going back to that, at least I hadn't been plagued by thoughts about her body.

"So, about this Amelia? Tell me everything. I like to see women succeed in the workplace." Olivia said.

I looked over at her and watched her eat the whipped cream off her own dessert. I shrugged and averted my eyes back to my computer screen, looking at Amelia's photo. "She's great. Really excels at her job. She's very driven and determined. Amelia cares about the people she works with and goes out of her way to help them succeed."

"Wow. She sounds like a keeper. How long has she been with the company?" Olivia asked.

I pulled that information up on my laptop and relayed it to her. "Six years." I narrowed my eyes at my computer in confusion. "That can't be right" I muttered.

"If this woman is as good as you say she is, you need to see if she's interested in going higher up in the company. We could use a person like her at the executive level. It's something to think about." She offered.

"I'm not sure that's such a great idea." I said quietly.

"Why not? You just gave a glowing review of her as a person and as a manager. Why wouldn't you want her to start moving up the corporate ladder?" Olivia picked up her half eaten dessert and brought it to the small table I was working at and took a chair opposite me. "You don't seem to be the type of man who is threatened by a woman in power. So, what's the problem?"

What was the problem?

Amelia was one of my managers, a great manager in every aspect, but she was the kind of clingy that I had joked that Olivia was like. Whenever I visited her store, she stuck to me like glue and hung onto my every word. I had to give her credit because Amelia took to heart everything I said, every suggestion I made, every word of praise to either her or her staff on a job well done. Those suggestions were immediately put into place and the store thrived even better than it already did because of them.

There were a few times that Amelia had flirted with me. Subtlety. It was so subtle that I was left wondering if I had imagined it, and then felt like a fool for thinking things like that about a subordinate. But after some space and a clear head, it had been obvious to me that that was exactly what had happened. She was so great at her job, that I didn't want to reprimand her and put that imaginary black mark on her file. It only happened twice, and in an effort to not put myself in that position again, and because she was so good at her job, I avoided personal visits to her store for a while. I had made calls to check in with her, and nothing out of the ordinary had been said.

I hoped it wasn't going to be an issue any longer because I couldn't avoid this visit. I didn't want Olivia picking up on it either and while I knew why, it sounded ridiculous to me. That didn't make it any less true though. I didn't want Olivia to feel jealous in any way, shape, or form because of Amelia's clinginess. There was absolutely nothing between Amelia and I and there never would be. But I didn't want to cause Olivia to feel the things I had felt when I thought Stephen was a viable candidate for her affection. If I had to say something to Amelia I absolutely would, to protect Olivia's feelings that I knew she no longer even had for me.

I shook my head and wondered if my thoughts sounded as crazy as I imagined they did? I closed my laptop and slid it back into my black leather bag as Olivia continued to watch me. "I don't want to taint your opinions of her with mine. Tomorrow when we get there, take mental notes. There may be things that I am imagining that aren't really there. Or there may be things that I'm not noticing that are there. Either way, you are a fresh pair of eyes and you'll be better able to gauge her strengths and weaknesses and see if she has corporate potential."

"Okay." I put the strap of my bag onto my shoulder. "You're leaving?" Olivia asked.

I glanced at my watch. "It's after ten. I've got to get my clothes laid out for tomorrow and make a few lists before I go to bed. And I've got to get enough sleep so that I won't feel like passing on my run in the morning." I headed to the door and I could sense that she was following behind me. When I was safely on the other side of the door I turned around and gave her a smile. "Sleep well, Olivia. I'll see you in the morning. Nite."

The expression on her face told me that she was still confused as to why I was leaving. I congratulated myself on the sheer determination and will power it took for me to walk out of her room and not touch her. This friendship thing might just work. "You too. Goodnight, Fitz." Olivia stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed me on the cheek.

I watched her close the door and clenched my jaw. Fucking hell! Why did she just do that? Why was she making this so hard for me?


	16. Crash Into Me

Crash Into Me

 **Fitz's POV**

My feet pounded the pavement repeatedly and briskly as my forehead dripped with sweat. I was purposefully driving myself hard on my morning run and every muscle in my body was screaming for me to stop. Still I pushed on. I didn't want to be running this morning, but I knew I had to be sharp today and it was the easiest way to make the endorphins kick in. And since I was currently going without my favorite endorphin releaser – sex – I was running. I'd much rather get the release from sex with Olivia though. My friend Olivia.

It was difficult at times to be her friend and nothing more. My thoughts constantly wanted to pull me back to moments of intimate times we had shared and relive them in great detail. I wondered if that would always be the case and my mind would have no rest from them? Or would those thoughts gradually subside after we finished the job and she went back to New York? I didn't want to even think about her leaving California yet and shoved that depressing notion deep down.

I grunted in frustration, wiped my wet forehead with the back of my hand, and squinted ahead. I was only about a half mile from the hotel, but the sun was already up and reminding me that I was getting a late start to my day. I picked up my pace and sprinted the rest of the way, determined to make up for lost time and get this day over with.

I breathlessly walked through the busy foyer as people slowly milled about – checking in or out, making complaints, or whatever the hell else people did who stayed in hotels for reasons other than business. I waded through them, made my way to the elevator, pressed the arrow up button, and waited for it to descend to the ground floor. I could feel myself aging from the snail's pace the elevator and people around me were moving this morning.

Finally! It dinged and a moment later the metal doors slid open. I looked down to turn off the music I was listening to and stepped inside without paying attention to anything else. And plowed right into someone. Caught off guard, I stepped back and lifted my gaze just in time to see Olivia take a few steps backwards with an open mouth and wide eyes.

She must've screeched or yelped or something, but the damn music was still playing at the ear splitting level I was accustomed to running with. Her arms flailed wildly as her tiny feet continued their trip backwards until she stumbled, and one foot came out from under her. Forgetting the loud sound blaring through my earbuds, I reached out to try to catch her from hitting the floor.

I took a large step forward and my hands firmly gripped her hips as I tried to help her stand upright, but she ended up falling on the floor of the elevator anyways, taking me down with her. One of my earbuds fell out of my ear on the way down and I heard her wince in pain.

I quickly sat up and pulled her onto my lap. I did a visual scan to see if blood could be found anywhere. When I didn't spot any, I put my hands on each side of Olivia's head and said, "Liv? Are you okay?"

Her brown eyes were slightly clouded, but she blinked up at me a few times and then nodded slowly. "Good morning to you too."

I rolled my eyes, kissed her forehead, and sarcastically said, "Good morning. Are you alright?" I dropped my hands from her face and that was when I noticed that the front of her dress was really high on her thigh. I gently lifted her and pulled the floral material down, and then put my arms around her body.

"I think so. I mean, I was until you came barreling into the elevator. Where the hell were you going in such a hurry anyways?"

She seemed content to sit in my lap on the floor of the elevator and talk and I wasn't going to be the one to move first. "I was out on my morning run."

"That explains why you stink so badly and are covered with sweat." She laid her head on my shoulder and in that moment, I didn't care if we ever got up.

"Sorry about that."

I figured the moment was over and tried to move, but Olivia put her arms around my neck and held on. "I just need another minute. Please. I'm kinda dizzy."

I immediately stopped moving and put my arms back around her. "Of course. Are you comfortable?"

"This is perfect. Thanks."

"No problem. I'm really sorry I ran into you and knocked you over. I should have been paying better attention. I didn't mean to hurt you." Under different circumstances, this would be a damn near perfect moment.

"I'm sure I'm okay. Just a little shaken up is all. You certainly know how to make an entrance." She chuckled.

"Women fall all over themselves when I do." I chuckled back.

She groaned lightly and shook her head at my joke. "That was terrible. Can you help me stand up now please?"

I held onto her hips and waited while she gingerly pushed off my lap. She got partially up, swayed slightly, and crumpled back down on my lap, wincing again. I cradled her in my arms protectively and asked, "What is it?"

Her hand went to her right foot and held onto it. "It's my ankle."

My hand slid down her smooth cocoa legs until it joined her hand. I pulled her heel off and she turned her foot to the side. There was a good sized knot on her ankle. "That doesn't look good."

"Help me stand up again please. I think you need to be in front of me instead of behind me though." She explained.

"How am I supposed to do that?" I asked. "You're sitting on my lap at the moment."

"Just set me on my ass, Fitz. It's padded for a reason. Then you can get in front of me and help me up."

It made sense to me. I set her down beside me and got to my feet as Olivia held her hands up for me to grasp. I held onto her hands but didn't pull her up yet. "Are you ready?" When she nodded I gently pulled her towards me and watched her face. The moment her weight was on both feet, I saw the pain momentarily flash across her face before she quickly covered it with a half smile.

She lifted the injured foot and brought a hand up to my chest for balance. "I'm fine. I think my foot is just asleep."

I tilted my head and shot her a look. "Liv. You're not fine. I don't know why you think you have to act like you are? You don't. Not with me."

She set her foot down beside the other one, smile still in place and looked up at me. "See? I'm good."

I wasn't convinced that she was and watched her for a moment. She closed her eyes once again and I could tell from the expression on her face that she was experiencing a significant amount of physical pain. "Still good?" I asked.

She nodded enthusiastically.

I let go of her and took a few steps backwards to the other side of the elevator. "Great. Walk to me.

She chuckled before her nose wrinkled up. "What?"

"You heard me. Walk to me." She was putting on a brave face, I had to give her that. But there was no way in hell she'd be able to take one step, let alone three, to make it all the way to where I stood. I smiled at her and held out my arms, making the gap a little smaller.

"I'm not a toddler, Fitz. I'm fine."

"You're fine?" I asked in a disbelieving voice. I shrugged and took two steps closer to her. She was now only two feet from my body. "Prove it. Take one step towards me."

She dropped her chin and knit her brow. "I'm not walking to..."

"Do it or I'm taking you to the emergency room!" I threatened. She huffed loudly and put a defiant look on her face. I glanced down and noticed that she was going to take the step with her good foot. I couldn't wait to see how this ended. My guess was the emergency room. As soon as she put her weight completely on the injured foot, she cried out but made it to me before she began to fall in my direction. Damn stubborn woman! I caught her and scooped her up in my arms, looking down at her. "Still fine?"

"Put me down!" She demanded. "I stumbled on something."

"Bullshit, Liv. You can't put much weight on your foot or take more than a single step without falling on your ass..." My voice was unintentionally getting louder, and I stopped and huffed out a breath before finishing my sentence. I was interrupted before I could do so.

"Stop screaming at me." She shot back. "I already told you, I'm not a toddler!"

I rested my head against hers, just needing a moment. In a quieter more soothing tone I added, "I'm sorry. But you might have broken it. Just tell me how much pain you're in. And don't lie to me or it will piss me off."

"Honestly, it doesn't hurt that bad." She lifted her gorgeous leg in the air and added, "It could be sprained, but I really don't think it's broken. It's just sore when I stand on it."

"That's what I thought." I grimaced.

"Is she alright?" A voice asked from behind us.

We both turned out heads. The concerned question came from an elderly woman inside the elevator. It was then that I noticed the doors had closed and we were moving. I opened my mouth to speak, but Olivia beat me to it. "I'm fine" she said with a pained smile.

I gave my own smile and said, "She's not. But she soon will be. Where are we headed?"

The white haired woman raised her eyebrows at me and patiently said one word. "Up."

Oh yea. We had been on the ground floor when all of this happened. I glanced up at the red digital numbers. They were about to hit four when I asked the kind stranger, "Could you please hit six for us? Thank you."

She watched us and smiled politely until we arrived at our floor. I carried Olivia out, still holding her close to me. "Ohhh! I think your young lady dropped her purse? It's a beauty too. And a shoe as well. Here you go." She put the shoe into the purse and held it out and I ran my left hand through the loops of the purse, letting it hand there as I had seen Olivia do many times before. I felt like an idiot but didn't see the fashion police anywhere nearby. "You might need to take her to the emergency room to get checked over? You can't be too careful with bones."

"My thoughts exactly. Thank you again." I said grinning from outside the elevator. "Have a good afternoon."

"You too." She looked at Liv and added, "You have a good man there, taking care of you like he does. I'm pretty sure he deserves a kiss for it."

She winked at me and I winked back. I was definitely going to bring that up later. "Let's go to your room and I'll get some ice for you to put on your ankle."

"Working hard for that kiss, aren't you?" Olivia commented mildly as we continued down the long narrow hall. I grinned from over her head. So, she had listened to that suggestion! Excellent!

Once Olivia got the key card from inside her purse, we went into her room and I carried her to the bed and gently laid her down on top of it. She sat up and fluffed the pillows to put one behind her back and two under her foot. She was being a model patient now that she was off her feet. I turned to grab the ice bucket and told her I'd be right back. I flipped the door lock towards the hall, leaving the door propped open so I could get back in without Olivia having to get up.

I returned with the ice and closed the door. Looking in the closet, I found a small clear bag and put more than half of the ice inside of it. I tied the end in a knot and brought it to Olivia. She was giving me a doubtful look and I didn't blame her. "This is not going to feel good at first, but it will help with the swelling." I handed it to her and watched her place it on the ankle for a moment before yelping and quickly pulling it back off. "Put the ice back on your ankle."

She set the bag on the bed beside her. "No! It's cold and it hurts!"

"You sound like a three year old." I chided, pointing to the bag.

"Shut up." She shot back as she folded her arms across her chest, not doing as I said.

"You shut up!" I said pointing at the bag of ice once again. "It's ice. It's going to be cold. It's also going to help with the swelling. So, put it back on your ankle. Besides, don't you remember what Nurse Sweetness said?"

Olivia looked at me with great confusion. "Who?"

"Nurse Sweetness? The woman from the elevator?"

"Oh. The sweet lady who thinks I should kiss you."

"Yea. Her." I was a little bit proud of Olivia for remembering the sweet older lady. Prouder still that she wasn't letting go of the idea of giving me a kiss. "She said, and I quote, 'you can't be too careful with bones.'"

She stared at me wordlessly for a long moment before reluctantly picking up the bag and gingerly setting it on the pained ankle. Her face twisted with pain and she inhaled sharply before settling down and dealing with it. After she became accustomed to the ice, she slowly laid back against the pillow behind her.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at her for a moment before I said, "I really think you should get your ankle looked at, Liv."

Her eyes popped open and she replied, "you already looked at it."

I tilted my head and raised my eyebrows at her. "By a medical professional."

"Are you talking about a trip to the emergency room?" She asked. "No way! It's fine. The ice is helping."

"It could be broken?"

"It's not."

"But it could be."

She huffed loudly, and those cute little brown arms were once again folded across her chest as she pouted. A deadly combination for me, signaling I was probably not going to win this argument. "How about this instead? Bring me my purse and I'll call the twenty-four seven nurse line listed on the back of my insurance card. Whatever she says, we'll do. Okay?"

She was lying. If the nurse told her to go to the ER, Olivia was going to talk her out of it somehow. Or just say no. I handed her the purse. "Okay, but the call goes on speakerphone, so I can hear what she says too."

"Why don't you go to your room and take a shower while I call her? You stink, remember?" She smirked at me.

"Nice try, Liv. It's not happening. I'll take a shower after the call. I'll just hang around while you call...for moral support." When she narrowed her eyes in ager at me, I couldn't contain the chuckle that bubbled up. Damn it she was adorable.

She jerked her wallet out from her bag and pulled the small rectangular plastic card out along with her cellphone and a small pill bottle. She popped two Tylenol and took a sip from the glass of water that was sitting on the bedside table. Shaking her head back and forth, she dialed the number and put the phone to her ear. I cleared my throat and she cut her eyes to me. I mouthed the words speaker phone and watched her roll her eyes at me before complying.

Olivia ran through her shpiel with the nurse and explained what happened and how. She answered the questions that were asked and asked a few of her own. When the nurse said it sounded like a sprain, Olivia shot me a triumphant grin. The wounded patient was told to get some rest, continue to ice the ankle, wrap it with an elastic bandage, and keep it elevated. She could have over the counter pain reliever if she wanted it. She was also told that if she continued to have problems or couldn't walk on it that she should go to either her regular doctor or the emergency room.

When the call was ended I stood up from the bed. "I'm going up to my room to take a shower now." I noticed the panicked look on Olivia's face. "Can I get you anything before I go?"

"You can take a shower here. I know it sounds stupid, but what if I wake up in pain and can't get to my Tylenol? Or what if I have to pee and I can't get to the bathroom by myself?" She looked scared.

"You want me to stay here with you for a while? Is that what you're saying?" It wouldn't be my worst day. I could watch her sleep, which I loved to do. Or get some work done when watching her sleep began to feel borderline creepy.

"Would you mind? I'm a little freaked out by being in pain when I walk. " She admitted.

"Of course I'll stay and take care of you. I've got an elastic bandage in my gym bag that you can use if you want?" She nodded with a smile. "I'll just go grab some clothes and stuff and come right back. Hanging out with you is better than going to work." I chuckled.

And then it hit me. "SHIT! We're supposed to be heading out right about now. I've got to call Amelia and postpone our visit." Olivia's ankle saved me from the stress of the visit to Amelia's store and I couldn't be more thankful. I did have to call her, but that was so much easier to deal with. I leaned down and kissed Liv on the cheek. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." I teased.

 **Olivia's POV**

Fitz was hilarious. "Where am I gonna go?" I shouted to his retreating back. I put my phone back into my bag and set it beside me on the bed.

This was a fantastic situation I had gotten myself into. The truth was I was thankful that it was just a sprain and not broken. When I had attempted to walk to Fitz in the elevator it had been pretty painful. It looked like I was going to be bed ridden for a few days while my ankle healed up. That thought did not excite me in the least. There was one that did, but under the circumstances, it wasn't going to be very fruitful for either one of us.

I wondered what Fitz thought of me asking him to stay in my room? In truth, I was very nervous about being alone and not being able to get to the bathroom in time. And the thought of doing further damage by walking on it more than necessary worried me too. I knew he wouldn't let that happen and those reasons were part of why I had asked him to stay with me.

The other part was that I missed being around him in a non-work setting. I quickly realized that living solo in a hotel room was actually a great deal more boring than it had been when we shared one. And even though the situation wasn't quite the same as it had been when that happened, I genuinely loved his company. But all of that aside, this friendship thing had to go! When my foot was healed up, I was going to make a move on him.

I had been sending out little signals that I wanted more than friendship with him, but I didn't think he understood them as that. I had kissed him as he left my hotel room last night. I know that wasn't exactly playing fair, but he looked so damn good I couldn't help myself. Didn't want to either. In the elevator, I had held onto him claiming to need a minute, saying I was dizzy. I hadn't been dizzy at all. I just missed being close to him like that.

There were times Fitz seemed to want more than to be friends with me too. He had kissed me twice already this morning and the more I thought about it, he was definitely holding back from kissing me at the airport. Even if the earlier kisses were on the head he was very comfortable with doing it. He held me on his lap in the elevator and carried me to my room. I hadn't missed the hungry looks that had crossed his face over the past few day or so either.

But then there were times that Fitz seemed content with being my friend. We had talked on the phone every day like old friends while I was in New York dealing with Marcus. He had pulled down the hem of my dress after I fell. I wasn't exactly in the frame of mind to think about something like that and it was nice. After I threw my shoe at him yesterday and had hobbled after him to retrieve it in the hall, he hadn't said a word, but had just handed it to me. It was difficult to decide which side of the fence Fitz was sitting. Friendship or more. We would find out soon enough for sure one way or the other. Besides, it was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?

A knock on the door brought me back to reality. "Fitz? If that's you, I haven't moved a muscle. You can come in."

He came in the door carrying his gym and laptop bags. He had a huge grin on his gorgeous face and one hand behind his back. He draped his bags on the back of a chair and came to sit beside me. "Pick a hand." He had a glint in his eye and I wished my foot was already healed so that I could jump on him.

I pointed to the one behind his back and when he brought it in front of his body, I was presented with a cup of coffee. "It's freshly brewed. I asked them to make a new pot downstairs."

I grinned and excitedly held a hand out to take it. I took the white plastic lid off and breathed deeply with a smile on my face. No time like the present, right? I crooked my finger, beckoning him. His eyebrows knit together in confusion and he said, "what?"

"Come here." Was all I said.

He scooted closer, but he was still nowhere near my personal space. "What is it?" He asked.

I patted the spot on the bed right beside me. "I'm not gonna bite you, Fitz. Unless you want me to?" I watched him swallow hard and knew I had him right where I wanted him.

"If you bite me, I'm going to bite you back." He replied.

Now it was my turn to swallow hard. I had forgotten how much fun it was to flirt with him. He sat in the place I had patted with my hand. I reached a hand up to the back of his head and said, "thank you for the coffee" and then I brought his face closer to mine. He froze for a moment and his eyes grew wider. He seemed to be processing what I was about to do and was unsure about it. Still, I pulled him closer and his doubts seemed to lessen until he gave in and let me touch my lips to his in a soft closed mouth kiss.

He pulled back a few inches and his ocean blue eyes flicked back and forth between my bold brown ones. He licked his lips and replied, "Let me know when your cup is empty, and I'll get you some more." I grinned at him and he grinned back. It was a good beginning.

"What did Amelia say when you told her we weren't coming today? You could've gone by yourself you know? I'll be fine here alone for a few hours." I wasn't a huge fan of that idea, but it could be done so we weren't running behind on our schedule.

I noticed that Fitz hadn't moved from his spot close to me. I don't know why I got a great deal of satisfaction from that, but I did. "It's fine. Her store practically runs itself anyways. Our visit will merely be superficial. I'm sure she has already researched the merger and has already filled her staff in and answered all questions. She's that good at her job."

I wondered again why he was unwilling to discuss with her the idea of moving up in the company. There must be something there that I was unaware of. Something that he was holding back from me. I recalled him telling me that he didn't want to taint my opinion of her with his own. What had happened or had been said that made him leery of promoting what sounded like a valuable asset to the company? And why was it so big that he didn't even want to discuss it?

"I explained the situation to her and told her one way or another I would be at her store with or without you by the end of the week." He shrugged. "It's no big deal. We only have a dozen or so stops left to make before we're done with this little adventure. And then I'll be your boss." He grinned showing his perfectly white teeth.

I reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the Tylenol and opened the bottle.

"Liv, you just took some of those less than an hour ago. I don't think you should take any more for a while." He advised.

I cut my eyes at him. "Every time you mention becoming my boss, I suddenly feel a pain in my ass."

He laughed at me, deep and loud and before long I was laughing with him. He plucked the pill bottle out of my hands and threw them across the room onto the floor near the table. "If you can get them, you can take them."

Fitz stood up and pulled off his damp t-shirt and my eyes were riveted to his body with laser focus. I missed his hard lean body pressing mine down into the mattress. I mentally dared him to pull his shorts off as I watched him walk to his gym bag and pull out a change of clothes. He sat down on the end of my bed and pulled off his shoes and socks, before leaning forward to neatly set them side by side near the wall. My eyes roamed his muscular back and I smiled proudly when I noticed faint fading scratch marks I had left there. He stood up and made his way to the bathroom and I silently promised the skin on his back it would have fresh ones soon.

"Liv?"

I glanced down at my nails and decided I would file them today in preparation. It had been a little while since I had filed them anyways and they needed it.

"Liv?"

My cuticles needed work too, I decided. I held my hands out in front of me and looked them over. It wasn't bad enough to require a visit to a nail salon, just a little upkeep. I needed to round the edges of my nails off some to leave perfect little crescents on Fitz's back when I gripped him tightly as he...

"Hey! Liv!"

I was startled from my train of thought, and quite unhappily so. I gave Fitz a grumpy look and asked, "What?"

"Didn't you hear me?"

"Obviously not. What do you want?" Damn, that was a good little daydream.

"I said, I'll leave the bathroom door cracked in case you need something. Just call out loud enough for me to hear you. Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks."

"What were you thinking just now? You were not paying me any attention." He was smirking at me as if he knew exactly what I had been thinking.

"You stink. Go away." I plainly said. I watched him disappear around the corner and into the bathroom and went back to my plotting. I'd have to wait until my ankle healed before I put any kind of plan into motion, but I was definitely going to come up with one.

My overactive mind wandered amid my plotting and before long I realized I should probably call Harrison and let him know what had happened to me. I hadn't talked to Sophie since I got back to California and it was then the decision was made for me. I leaned over the side of the bed to get my phone from my purse. I must've leaned a little too far over because the next thing I knew, I was hanging off the side of the bed with my hands on the floor. "FIIIIITZ!" I screamed. I knew my voice was muffled from being on the floor on the side of the bed that was near the window and not the bathroom, so I screamed louder. "FITZ!"

I heard the water turn off and tried to wait patiently for him to get out here. It was taking forever. "FITZ! Come here! Hurry!" I heard footsteps and knew he was on his way, but when I heard laughter, I knew he was here.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Inspecting the carpet. What does it look like? I almost toppled over. Can you help me back onto the bed when you're done laughing at me?" His hands went under my armpits and I felt him begin to lift me up. It was then that I smelled him. The sweat smell was long gone and replaced with a clean one. I didn't know if it was soap or some man shower stuff or shampoo or what it was. He just smelled good. Like my Fitz.

When I was settled back on the bed I almost stopped breathing. Fitz had a white hotel towel wrapped around his waist and it looked like it was barely hanging onto his body. The part that gets tucked in at the waist had come out and I waited for it to fall. "What were you trying to do?" He asked.

I snapped my eyes up from his crotch to his beautiful blue eyes. "I was trying to get my phone, so I could call Harrison. I kind of fell over in the process. I didn't mean to interrupt your shower."

"I'm all clean now. I was just standing in there soaking up all the hot water. You good now?"

I would be so much better if that damned towel would just slip a few more inches. I smiled at him and said, "yea. Thank you. Would you mind getting my phone for me please?"

"Sure." Fitz leaned down to get the device out of my purse and when he stood back up that was when the towel came undone. It slowly started falling off of his hips and I watched the whole thing with excited eagerness. He must have felt it because his eyes went wide, and he immediately grabbed his center and took a step backwards.

The towel had fallen off of one of his hips and was working its way off the other one. Now it was my turn to laugh. "It looks like you're having problems of your own. Are you okay?"

He quickly reached behind him for the other end of the towel with an embarrassed chuckle and pulled it back around to the front of his body in a firm hold. "You think you're hilarious, huh? Well, klutz, while you were hanging off the edge of the bed I saw your ass too."

I stopped laughing and pulled on the edge of my dress. "You did not."

"Canary yellow lace panties." He said with a smirk. "Tell me I'm wrong." When I went silent, he laughed loudly.

There was one way to shut him up and I went for it. "Do you want to see the matching bra?"

Fitz clenched his jaw and muttered something about getting dressed before he walked away.

I Facetimed with my brother and told him of my situation, which he found funny. I didn't even try to be mad at him because I had learned long ago that that was the way of brothers. I spoke to Sophie and by that time Fitz had gotten dressed and came to sit beside me on the bed. It wasn't long before he ended up taking the phone away to show her the view outside and have his own animated conversation with her. I could do nothing but watch him ask her about her day and her friends and tell her that he missed her. It was all very adorable.

Eventually, he gave me the phone back and I talked with Sophie until she became bored with it. I ended the video call and set my phone on the bedside table. "Thanks for letting me talk to her. She's really cute."

"I didn't have much of a choice once you started walking around." I grumbled.

Fitz wrapped my ankle and then later on, went out and got us something to eat for dinner. I was grateful because I was starving. We talked as we ate about whatever came to mind until I yawned loudly. "That was really good. Thank you."

"You sound like you need to go to bed."

"I am tired, but it's still too early for that. I need to take some more Tylenol and then maybe we can see if there's anything on tv we can agree on? But I need your help with something else first." I wasn't sure how he was going to respond to this request.

"Yea, sure. What do you need?" He was being very attentive and sweet. We'd see how long that lasted.

"I need help getting into my pajamas." I admitted. "You don't have to help me if you don't want to though. I can probably..."

"Liv. I'd be happy to help. It's not like I haven't seen you in your underwear before." He smiled at me and I smiled back. "It's not a big deal."

"Thank you. They are in the top drawer over there." I pointed, and he went to retrieve them.

"Please tell me I'm not putting you in these!" He lifted out the red silk shorts and turned to show them to me with a panicked look on his face.

"You can put me into whatever you want to put me in." I replied smoothly. His mouth hung open before it closed on a gulp. I decided to let him off the hook for the moment and added, "But I've got to pee first."

"That I can handle." He quickly dropped the shorts and came back to the bed and picked me up in his arms. He brought me to the bathroom door and gently set me on my feet, holding onto me until I had all of my weight on my good foot. He hooked my arm around his neck and helped me stand in front of the commode. "You got it from here?"

"I think so." I leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you. I'll yell when I'm ready for my ride back." We grinned at each other and he left me, closing the door. He stuck with the red pajamas and I was shocked, but Fitz helped me step into the shorts and held onto me while I pulled them up. His eyes never left mine as I pulled them up my legs. There really wasn't much to see since I still had my dress on, but that was the next thing to go. "Can you unzip me please, so I can get the top on?"

"Turn around."

His simple words brought back memories of him commanding me to do the same thing not very long ago. It sent a shiver down my spine but again, I wordlessly complied with his request. He had his hand on the zipper but hadn't started dragging it down until I remembered to pull my hair up off my neck as not to get it entangled. I could be wrong, but it seemed like Fitz stopped breathing and I couldn't figure out why until I remembered how much he loved being in my neck. I turned around and caught him eyeing it and licking his lips. "Everything okay?"

He smiled tightly and unzipped my dress without another word. I hobbled a few feet away from him to pull off the canary yellow bra and pull on my red top. I could feel his eyes on me but didn't care. I hoped he was feeling as worked up as I was, and I definitely hoped he wanted me as badly as I wanted him.

He helped me get settled into bed, under the blanket and even propped up pillows for both of us against the headboard before he laid on top of the blankets and turned on the television. With one arm tucked behind his head he began flicking through the channels. There was nothing on and my eyes were getting heavy even though I was trying so hard to stay awake. He tried to hand me the remote, but I told him I didn't care what he watched. That I would probably be falling asleep soon anyway.

He settled on a basketball game and tried to explain the rules to me. He could be reading me the phone book and I would be enthralled. His baritone voice was soothing, and I quickly fell asleep in spite of my desire to stay awake.

I woke up some time later to a dark room with flickering lights from the television. I turned my head and squinted at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was only two a.m. When I turned to my left, I saw Fitz sleeping beside me with the remote on his chest. I glanced up at the television to see some kind of infomercial on. Happy smiling people selling crazy shit in the middle of the night.

I gently picked up the remote from Fitz's chest and was about to turn the tv off when it dawned on me that I wouldn't be able to see him if I did. I held onto the small device but rolled onto my side, facing him. His face was so peaceful in sleep. He hadn't done anything with his hair after abruptly getting out of the shower to rescue me and his curls wildly went in every direction. He didn't snore but breathed deeply and evenly. It was very peaceful to watch him sleep and I was grateful to be able to experience it close up.

I had the sudden desire to kiss him but really didn't want to disturb his sleep. I gently leaned in his direction, stopping every so often when his face would twitch, or his breathing changed slightly. I licked my lips and pressed them lightly onto his for just a moment.

Two bright blue eyes opened wide and looked up at me. I pulled away from him immediately. "What are you doing, Liv?"

I shrugged. I was busted and there was no reason to lie about it. "Kissing you."

"Yes, but why?"

I traced his bottom lip with my index finger. "Because I don't want to be your friend anymo..."

My words were cut off and the air was sucked from my lungs as he rolled me onto my back and crushed his lips to mine in an intense all consuming kiss. After the initial shock wore off, I quickly wound my arms to the back of his head and gave just as good as I got. Our tongues were very happy to be reconnected and picked up their familiar dance as if there hadn't been any absence between them.

When I eventually pulled away from him for some much needed air, he looked down at me with the biggest smile and said, "I have been waiting to hear you say that for seven days. It's been the longest week of my life." I smiled back at him and brought his face back to mine. We had a lot of time to make up for.


	17. Milestones

Milestones

Olivia's POV

You know how you're going along in life and you feel ridiculously proud when you hit a milestone that seems huge, but in reality, it's nothing exceptional? That's how I'm feeling this morning and it's all because of my shoes. That's nothing exceptional, I know, but for me it is. And I feel that ridiculous pride because I have a pair of heels on my feet for the first time in several days.

It's been almost a week since I sprained my ankle. Five days to be specific. Five days since Fitz plowed into me and knocked me on my ass in the elevator. He carried me up to my room, listened in on a phone call I made to a nurse, ordered me to ice my ankle, and took really good care of me. It turns out he's a really good nurse with a lot of patience for someone who had to deal with a whining woman in pain. He played cards with me, watched tv with me, got me food, helped me to the bathroom, and anything else I needed. He's been really great, and I would have been miserable without his help.

It's been five days since I've been to work. I had to call Cyrus to tell him about my ankle and that wasn't pretty. He shouted a lot, but I basically tuned him out, murmured one word answers as often as I could get away with it in the conversation, and assured him I'd be back on my feet by the end of the week. That seemed to calm him down for the moment and I kept myself busy with work related emails and researching the remaining stores Fitz and I had to visit. There really weren't many of them left and that made me sad.

But if I had to sit around this hotel room one more day I think I will lose my mind. It took some convincing on my part for Fitz to even entertain the idea of me going back to work. I know he had my best interest at heart, but I'm not used to anyone telling me what I should and should not be doing. I had to get firm with him and make it crystal clear that I was going to work with or without him today.

It's also been five days since I told Fitz that I didn't want to be his friend anymore. Because I have been recovering from a sprained ankle and dealing with the intense pain that came from that, Fitz and I haven't yet gotten each other out of the friendship zone, physically speaking. We've had great conversations, some intense toe curling kisses, and the deep desire to work our bodies to exhaustion, but it hasn't happened yet. Today could be the day though.

Five days since I've worn a heel on my foot. That's an eternity to me because heels are all I ever wear unless I'm working out. So, when I finally got that shoe on my foot I felt like Cinderella even if I wasn't wearing a pretty ball gown. My ankle is still a little tender, but I'd take that discomfort over the acute pain I'd been experiencing any time. I felt more like kick ass Olivia Pope in my heels, and now I was back!

I glanced up when I heard the door open and saw Fitz walk in completely uninvited, but welcomed, with my spare key card. He had no sooner gotten through the door when he stopped mid step and stared at me. I didn't mind because I was eyeing him up and down as well. He was wearing his navy dress pants with a white dress shirt and was looking exceptionally mouth watering. He looked at me, seemingly at a loss for words. "What the hell are you wearing?"

I looked down at my appearance, not understanding the question. I had on a knee length floral print dress that was completely appropriate for work. I had worn it several times before in the summer back in New York. I picked my head up and looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean? What's wrong with this dress?"

"I'm not talking about the dress, Liv." I saw his eyes go to the floor. "I'm talking about what's on your feet."

"My shoes? What about them?"

He gave me an impatient look. "You're wearing heels. Are you sure that's a good idea so soon after spraining your ankle? What if you twist it again? Or step down wrong?"

"Are you serious right now?" I propped my hand on my hip and shot him a defiant look. "I've been walking in heels for a very long time, Fitz. I think I can handle it."

He grinned at me playfully and said, "Let's see you walk across the..."

"We're not doing that again." I chuckled. "I'll be fine."

"I wasn't suggesting it because of your ankle." He said with a sarcastic tone.

"What other reason is there for you to ask me to do that?" There wasn't one and we both knew it.

"If you must know, Miss Know It All, I wanted to watch your ass in that dress." He grinned at me mischievously.

"Oh" was all I could come up with as a response to that. I took the few steps to him and put my hands on his chest, looking up at him expectantly. "If we are confessing things, I practically had to bite my tongue in half to refrain from asking you to slowly turn in a circle, so I could check out your ass in those blue pants."

"Reallllly?" He grinned as his arms came around me and I felt his left hand slide further down until it was cupping my ass. In one swift motion Fitz jerked me even closer until our bodies were pressed impossibly close. When he saw that I almost stumbled, he tightened his grip, raised an eyebrow, and said, "See? You need to be prepared for something like that to happen, catching you off guard and doing more damage to your foot."

"Do you really think that someone would try to do anything remotely like that to me?" I asked with a smile.

"Not if they want to live to tell about it." He replied with a cocky grin. "You do look beautiful though. Just be careful please. You are almost healed up and the thought of waiting much longer to get you naked and having my wicked way with you is not a pleasant one."

"I thought patience was a virtue?" I teased.

"It's been two weeks and patience is not my strong suit. Especially when it comes to you." He leaned down and sucked the air from my lungs in a heated kiss. When he pulled away from me he added, "but since you're able to go to work, you should be more than able to put in some over time later on?"

"Your jokes are getting better." I said with a chuckle.

"I'm not joking. I want you and I know damned well that you want me." He said with confidence.

"Says who?" I asked sarcastically.

"I suppose you woke me up at two am and kissed me for the fun of it?"

I shrugged. "It was pretty damn fun. But now it's time to go to work, so put on your professional face." I tried to pull away from him to gather my belongings, but Fitz held me in place. I looked up at his handsome face, mine full of question.

"Before we leave this room and turn into work colleagues again, I'm going to need a kiss. For courage."

I arched one eyebrow at him. "For courage? What do you need courage for? To do your job?" I was on the verge of laughter when I looked up into his blue eyes. They were not remotely playful, but rather held me with an intent gaze. I wondered if we really needed to go to work today?

"I want to remain professional while we are on the job instead of searching for every dark quiet place in the store and wishing I could drag you there to do very unprofessional things to you. Things that I know you enjoy me doing to your sexy little body. Like when I drag my tongue down your neck. You squirm and pull me impossibly close to you. I know it drives you crazy in the best way. Or when I..."

My breathing became shallow as I listened to him talk. God, I wanted him to do those things to me now. Why had I waited so long to tell him I didn't want to be his friend? Because I was a coward. Well, no more. I grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled his face down to mine for that extra dose of courage. And to shut him up. I couldn't listen to him talk about the things I desperately needed him to do to me.

I tilted my head and slid my tongue into his mouth, feeling him suck on it for a moment as he hummed appreciatively. He grinned at me and said, "Remind me to whine about needing courage more often, Miss Pope."

I grinned back at him and quickly covered it with a stern look. "Shut up. Let's go, Mr. Grant."

After buying snacks, we arrived at the store an hour or so later. We may have stayed in the grocery store a little longer than necessary. Fitz had to buy condoms and when they got scanned along with the work related items, he panicked. I didn't understand what the fuss was about until he explained to me that he had to turn in every single receipt to corporate for reimbursement. And that he couldn't have condoms on the receipt and be able to explain it. I found this immensely humorous and couldn't stop laughing at the situation. He told the cashier that he would need to start over and we watched as he went through the process of voiding the sale and writing it down on an official form, all while wearing a scowl at Fitz. I was still laughing while Fitz shot me daggers and shook his head. Finally, everything was bagged and put into the car and we were on our way.

We set up the snacks in the back and then began walking the floor of the store together. I could see what Fitz meant about the manager being on top of her game. Her store was immaculately clean, had bright beautiful displays everywhere, proper signage hanging to alert customers to sales items, and a member of the staff had stopped and asked if we needed any help.

I was still wondering where the hesitation from Fitz was coming from when a beautiful slender woman rounded the corner and met us halfway down the aisle. She had straight shoulder length brown hair, blue eyes, and was a good six inches taller than I am. She smiled widely, showing perfect white teeth and said, "Fitzgerald Grant. It's been a while."

Fitz extended his right hand and shook hers. "Amelia. It has. How have you been?"

"You would know if you weren't such a stranger." She said with her perfect smile still in place.

"I've been kept busy at corporate, and now I'm busier than ever with this little road trip I'm on. The store looks beautiful as always."

I felt like I was at a tennis match as my eyes went from him to her and back to him again. I cleared my throat quietly.

"I'm so sorry. Amelia, this is Olivia Pope. She is the female version of me from The Toy Box in New York. She is my traveling companion for our road trip around California. Olivia, this is Amelia McConnell."

"It's so nice to meet you." I began as I shook her perfectly manicured hand. "Fitz is right, your store is perfection. It's obvious that you have put a lot of hard work into maintaining it."

"Nice to meet you too. And thank you. I have a great team here and we are all on the same page, so it works out well." She turned to Fitz and said, "You know I've already filled everyone in on the merger with The Toy Box. But I'm glad you decided to stop by and talk with us anyway."

"Great. This should be a relatively quick visit then. Are you having any issues that require my attention?" Fitz asked.

"I can't think of any." Amelia chirped happily. Her eyes flicked at me before asking him, "Can I borrow you for a moment though?"

Fitz looked at me and I smiled at him. "Go ahead. I'm going to finish my walk through and talk with the associates before we get started in the back. I'll see you back there in about twenty minutes, okay?"

"Sounds good." He replied.

I watched the two of them go into the manager's office at the front corner of the store. It had a few steps so that the manager could see out into the store while he or she was up there, and I could still see the top part of their bodies. There was something weird without seeming to be weird going on there. Ignoring them, I went back to the task at hand.

"Can I help you with something?" A voice asked me.

I turned and saw a friendly faced associate waiting for my answer. "Hello. How are you today?"

"Very well, thank you. Is there anything in particular that you're looking for? Maybe I can help?"

"I'm from out of town and was looking for something for my niece. She's about to be two years old. Got any suggestions?"

"What a cute age! Does she like stuffed animals or has she started getting interested in board games yet? Sometimes they aren't so anxious about sitting still long enough for a board game at that age yet."

This associate was pretty young, but she knew her stuff about two year olds. What they were into, how they were impatient with certain things. I was intrigued and decided to test her. "She's more into stuffed animals, but board games are just starting to be of interest to her. But her big brother, who is almost four, hates stuffed animals."

"I can imagine so. Usually, four year old boys are more into technology. Some watch YouTube, some play simple games on a phone or tablet, while others enjoy playing outside with sidewalk chalk or toys. Boys are a little more difficult to pinpoint because they are all over the place. But that's what makes them so much fun to be around too. I'm sorry, I'm rambling."

"No, you're actually very knowledgeable and friendly and helpful. I really appreciate you taking the time to try to help me today. Customer service is a dying thing these days. It's nice to see that there are still people who will go out of their way to help a customer."

"You're very welcome. If you need anything at all, please let me know. I won't be far."

"Thank you again. My name is Olivia." She reached out her right hand and shook the associates as she introduced herself.

"I'm Mara."

"How long have you worked at this store, Mara?"

"About three years now. I started working here when I started high school."

"That's great. I won't take up any more of your time. But it's been great meeting you, Mara."

"You're welcome. Have a great day, Olivia."

A loud giggle suddenly echoed through the store. Olivia followed the source and saw Amelia covering her open mouth with her hand as she looked at Fitz. There was no amusement on his face though. In fact, he was looking like he wanted to escape her office somehow. So this tall, beautiful, all around fantastic manager was infatuated with Fitz? As much as Olivia thought highly of her, there was no way in hell she was letting her get in the way of what was going on between she and Fitz.

Now she understood his apprehension about talking to her concerning working at the corporate level. He wasn't interested in her and didn't want to see her every single day. It was probably why he had avoided her store at all costs until he had been forced to come here? It was also probably why he said he didn't want his opinion of Amelia to taint mine too? Was Fitz wanting to see if it was obvious to other people or if he was imagining the flirting?

Poor Amelia. She didn't know she didn't stand a chance with my guy. And Fitz was my guy now and nothing was going to change that fact. Amelia was wasting her time and Fitz couldn't say anything about our relationship to her because we couldn't tell anyone at all about it. Still, Fitz was a grown man and would have to figure out how to navigate this situation on his own. He hadn't asked for my help and I wasn't going to but in, showing insecurity or immaturity. Instead I headed to the back room to greet everyone who had already shown up.

Fitz and Amelia found their way back shortly afterwards and the three of us chatted to almost everyone who were in attendance. I caught Fitz's gaze across the room as he spoke with someone whose name I had  
already forgotten. He winked at me and I smiled at him and averted my eyes from his and continued speaking to the person in front of me.

He made his way to the middle of the floor and asked for everyone's attention. Everyone in the room ended their conversations and looked at him. "At this point, I'm going to turn the floor over to Olivia Pope. She is the regional manager for The Toy Box in New York. She's been with the company ever since she was in high school and worked her way up to the position she is currently in. Now that The Toy Box has merged with Toy Land, she is one of us, so please give her a warm welcome and your complete attention."

We'd done this numerous times already, but Fitz's introduction always made me feel like I was part of a family and not just an outsider participating. I gave him a warm smile, mouthed the words 'thank you' and took his place in the center of the floor as the applause died down.

 **Fitz's POV**

Watching Olivia talk to the crowd was always a learning experience for me and today was no exception. She knew what to say and how to say it in a way that was easy to understand. It didn't sound like she had memorized a company memo on the subject and was spewing it word for word but had put her own personal touch on the information. It was part of what made her so good at her job.

I was mesmerized by her voice, listening to her rattle off the same information that she or I had relayed to employees for the past several weeks, when a grating voice asked, "Don't you get bored listening to this same stuff every single week?"

I hesitantly tore my eyes from Olivia in her pretty flowered dress to meet the blue eyes of Amelia. "Not even remotely. It helps having a knowledgeable speaker who keeps it interesting every single time."

"It doesn't hurt that she's beautiful to look at either." Amelia said mildly.

I smiled at her. "The two of you have that in common, Amelia."

She raised an eyebrow at my words but said nothing.

It was time to correct this behavior, imaginary or real. "You both are very attractive women." I watched a smile spread across her face as she leaned closer to hear my words. "But you don't rely on your beauty to cruise through the corporate world and neither does Olivia. And I've never seen either one of you use it to your advantage at work. It would be a shame to see that start now."

Amelia pulled back from me a good bit and her smile faltered some as she said, "I don't know what you mean, Fitz."

"You are a fantastic manager, Amelia. You run the best store in my district and I'm very proud to be your boss." Her confident mega watt smile was back in place. "But that's all I am to you. That's all I'm ever going to be to you. Your boss. If I ever gave you any other impression, I'm sorry. But I am not interested in you in a capacity other than being your boss and encouraging you to do the great work you are doing at your store."

"I see." She said. "I appreciate your forwardness and making this clear to me. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable in any way. The truth is I do find you attractive, but there's no point in trying to pursue something that isn't there on both sides. I hope we can continue to work together without any uneasiness?"

This time I gave her a genuine smile. "That would be great. Thank you for being honest with me and dealing with it in an adult like manner." I turned my eyes back to the one woman who had my complete attention and my whole heart. And that's when I knew.

Olivia wound her speech down and the two of us answered every question that was lobbed our way. Everyone seemed to breathe a little easier now that the facts were known, and the myths were dispelled. I counted myself as one of those people, and happily so. It had been an eventful day in some ways, and in others it had been exactly the same as every other time we had visited a store. I was happy to be leaving a little lighter than I had arrived and with a fuller heart.

The two of us gathered up the leftover items and put them in the breakroom for everyone to devour throughout the remainder of the day. When the back room was as clean as we had found it, we made our way to the front of the store, which is where we found Amelia.

"Have you received an email about the upcoming manager's retreat?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Yea. The one that's about an hour away?"

"That's the one. What do you think about it?"

"I didn't pay any attention to it because usually if you want us to attend, you let us know ahead of time. I'm pretty sure I deleted it already."

"I would really like for you to attend. That is, if you're interested? It would be beneficial for you to get away from the day to day grind of the store for a few days and I believe other managers would benefit from you sharing the things you have done in your store. You're a brilliant manager with great ideas. They need to be shared with other people, Amelia so that many more stores can be at the exceptional level that yours is at." I knew it sounded like I was heaping on the praise, but it was completely deserved and one hundred percent true.

"I realize that I'm not your boss, but may I make a suggestion?" Olivia asked.

"Of course. I value all suggestions." Amelia stated simply.

"You have an employee who is nothing short of phenomenal. Under your direction, she will make a fantastic manager one day. Her name is Mara and you should consider taking her with you to the retreat. If you decide to attend."

"But it's a retreat for managers. How can I take her if she isn't one?" Amelia asked confused.

"Well, you do have the full support of your boss. And his boss happens to be the keynote speaker at the retreat." I said with a smile. "I believe I could work it out without a problem."

"Mr. Finch is speaking at the retreat? I would love to hear what he has to say. I've heard he's brilliant." Amelia gushed excitedly. "And I agree, Mara would be a wonderful manager. She is very knowledgeable about our products and the little people they are purchased for. I would love to take her with me."

"And maybe begin to do some training with her here? Nothing major, but little things to start out with. If you see that she is adapting to it easily enough, we'll add to it and get her into a program for formal training later on." I explained.

"I've seen the potential for leadership in Mara for a while now and I'm glad that you saw the same thing, Olivia. It just confirms what I've felt about her for a while. I'd be glad to start training her as well as take her to the retreat. I'm kind of excited about it now."

"Thank you for having us here today. It was lovely to meet you." Olivia said, shaking her hand.

"I thought I was well versed in the merger between our companies, but I will admit that I learned some things today too. From both of you. Thank you so much for coming." She shook my hand and I promised to send her the confirmation email for her and Mara as well as other information about the manager's retreat by the first of the week.

Once we were in the car, Olivia buckled her seat belt and turned to me. "So, Amelia has a thing for you." It was a statement and not a question.

I nodded and said, "That's why I didn't want to say anything about my thoughts or opinions about her until you met Amelia for yourself. I wasn't one hundred percent sure about it, but she confirmed it earlier in a conversation we had."

"Was that the conversation the two of you were having while I was speaking to the group?" She asked with a look.

"It was. You need to know that I was completely enthralled with what you were saying before she distracted me."

"Ohhh, she distracted you." Olivia sang.

"It wasn't like that, Liv." I turned the key in the ignition to give myself a moment. "I told her very plainly that I was not interested in her in any other way than professionally."

"You said that?" Olivia seemed surprised. "Wow. I mean, when we left she seemed pleasant and not at all bitter about anything. Are you sure she understood what you were saying?"

"Do you want to go inside and ask her about it?" I replied with a face.

"You're grouchy when you have to shoot down women. And I've been on the receiving end of the 'let's keep it professional' speech. It's not easy to hear."

"She admitted that she found me attractive. I mean who doesn't?" I looked at my reflection in the rearview mirror and felt her punch me in the shoulder. When I looked over at her, she was pretending to stick her finger down her throat. I chuckled at her and said, "All kidding aside, I needed to let Amelia know that I wasn't interested in her and that she needed to stop. So I did."

"Why did you need to tell her that?" Olivia asked.

I debated with myself for a minute. I could answer her question now, but she wouldn't be able to react freely, assuming she had the reaction I had imagined her to have. As badly as I wanted to tell her now, I felt that the best thing was for me to tell her my reason when we were finally alone. Not sitting in a car after getting off work. I smiled at her and replied, "I'll tell you later."

"Why do you have to wait until later?" She queried.

"Because I just do." I put the car in drive and headed back to the hotel. "It's still early, but what do you have in mind for dinner?"

She was looking out her car door window and replied, "I'll tell you later."

"Smartass."

"It takes one to know one."

We drove in silence, each thinking our own thoughts until we reached the hotel. I parked the car and went around to open Olivia's door for her as she took off her seat belt. She had an annoyed look on her face and that bothered me. I knew I couldn't waste time with my explanation and risk her getting more annoyed.

Once we were in her room, she went straight for the bathroom and I went to sit on one of the chairs while I waited for her. When she came out I stood up and said, "Look, I didn't want to tell you the reason why I needed to set things straight with Amelia while we were sitting in the car outside of her store."

"It's okay. You don't owe me an explanation."

"Liv." She was about to ruin the moment with her keep the peace speech and I wasn't having it.

"You told her and that's the important thing."

"Liv." I was getting impatient.

"I appreciate you telling her how you feel so that things at work aren't awkward between the two of you. That's all that matters."

I raised my voice. "Olivia!"

"What?" She challenged in an equally loud voice.

"Can I talk now?"

"You can talk whenever you want to, Fitz." She replied sarcastically.

"Then shut up." She glared at me. This conversation was taking a wrong turn and it needed to get back on track quickly. I ran my hands through my hair and took a deep breath. "Look, I wanted to be alone with you when I told you why."

"We were alone in the..."

I shot her an impatient look and she quieted. I knew she would resist, but I went to stand in front of her and put my arms around her. She didn't reciprocate but stood there. She was pouting and damn if it wasn't adorable. I put my finger under her shin and directed her gaze up to mine. "I know we were alone in the car, but that wasn't exactly where I wanted to share this with you." She opened her mouth, but my raised eyebrows made her close her mouth and listen. "I love you."

She stared at me and her mouth fell open a little, but this time it wasn't to speak.

"I have fallen in love with you. And I didn't want you to hear it somewhere where you couldn't tell me what you think of that. It would have been impossible for us to have a conversation about it or make out like horny teenagers while we were sitting in a car the company rented while we were still on company property. I hope you aren't mad anymore?"

She was looking into my eyes, but I had no idea what she was thinking. Olivia had gone mute on me. I waited patiently for her response but after a few minutes she still hadn't said anything. I began to worry. "Can you tell me what you think of that? Do you think it's a bad thing? Do you think it's a good..."

Olivia stood up on her tip toes and interrupted my over thinking. She said, "What took you so long?" before she pressed her lips to mine in a soft tender kiss. She pulled away from my eager mouth and breathlessly said, "Make love to me, Fitz."

I reached behind her for the zipper I had been eyeing all day long and slowly drew it down until it stopped. I swept my lips across hers until her mouth opened and our tongues explored each other lazily, all while I pulled the pretty material down over her arms as she hurriedly unbuttoned my shirt. She let out a frustrated sound when her hands had to stop their work as I slowly pulled her dress down until it pooled at her feet.

My eyes roamed her sexy body and landed on the two pieces of red lace that covered the areas I wanted to see most. "You are so beautiful." I breathed out as I continued to look my fill.

She snapped me out of my haze when her fingers went back to their work, finishing the rest of the buttons on my shirt. She drew it over my shoulders and off my body while she had her own moment of admiring my upper half while the lower half remained clothed. "Mmmm, I have missed your chest." She leaned close and began leaving a trail of kisses all over it as I watched her.

I reached down and unbuckled my belt as I kicked off my shoes and unzipped my pants, stepping out of them. I scooped her up, carried her to her bed, and laid her down, covering her body with mine as our mouths stayed fused together. Olivia had her arms wrapped around me, holding me close, and it was the best feeling in the world.

When she moved her head to the left for air, I dipped my head and made a beeline for Olivia's neck. I licked and sucked and kissed on the soft perfumed skin there and felt her begin to writhe under me. I had missed being in her neck and making her delirious with want. I nibbled on her earlobe and then lifted my head slightly and whispered, "I love you, Liv."

I picked my head up and looked into her soft brown eyes. They were half open and cloudy with desire, but she reached a hand up and cupped my cheek with a smile. "I love you too, Fitz."

I turned my face into her palm and kissed it before moving off of her, taking off my boxer briefs, and rolling on a condom. I sat down beside her and gently pulled her to sit on my lap, facing away from me. I eased her forward a little and unhooked her bra. She leaned back against my chest as my hands went around her body and cupped her breasts, hers went to the hair on the back of my neck. I leaned down to kiss her neck again and soon she was grinding her ass into my crotch. I wasn't going to last very long with her doing that, so I slid my hands down her ribcage and hooked my fingers into the sides of her red lace panties. I hated to see them go, but my patience was wearing thin.

"Put your feet on the bed, your hands on my thighs, and pick up your cute little ass." I instructed. Olivia did as she was told, and I slid the red lace down until they were completely off, she was sitting back on my lap, and I flung the scrap of red away. I ran my hands along every inch of her body. There was so much I wanted to do to her, but there was no way to do it all right now, after waiting for this moment for two weeks. I'd have to do better during round two. Or three.

I lifted her up and laid her down flat on the bed, once again covering her body with mine. Olivia wrapped her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. I kissed her softly and slid inside her. The kiss was broken as we both groaned loudly and kept our centers pushed tightly together for a long blissful moment. "I have missed this. Missed you." I admitted, brushing my lips across hers and began a slow rhythm.

"I missed you too. Missed this so much." She whispered before bringing my mouth back to hers. Olivia's hips kept the lazy slow-moving motion with mine as our lips stayed connected and our hands explored heated skin. We couldn't get close enough to each other and there was already no space between us whatsoever. But still we tried to press ourselves closer. Two weeks usually seem like no time at all. But in moments like these, two weeks were an eternity.

We took our time enjoying each other and the beautiful moment we were lost in. Every time I pulled away from her velvety center, Olivia immediately brought me closer and held on to me longer. She seemed to not be able to get close enough to me and I was feeling the same way. I couldn't get enough of her like this either. We had wasted too much time for far too long.

After we had been skin to skin for quite some time, giving slow wet kisses, I pushed back inside of her and Olivia immediately pulled her hips away from me. Understanding that she needed a release, I moved a little faster and leaned down, taking one of her nipples into my mouth and began sucking. She gripped my hair tightly and began breathing heavier while her body kept the pace with mine. I released the hold my left hand had on her knee and moved it to the center of her thighs and began massaging her there.

"Right there." She panted out. "Don't stop!"

I increased the pace our bodies were moving even more, and Olivia began to chant my name over and over like a prayer. I had missed the sexy symphonic sound of that too. She dragged my mouth back up to hers and I poured everything I was feeling into the heated kiss. "Come...Come on, Liv." I panted. "Let go for me."

She had her eyes closed tightly and appeared to be trying to hold back. She knew it was useless and I didn't understand why she even tried to. Her nose was crinkled, and I leaned down and kissed it. She cracked one eye open, looked up at me, and said, "Say it again."

I growled in my throat and said, "I love you. So much." She fell apart in my arms and began shaking from the aftershocks. I followed right behind her and felt her grip my shoulders and say the words back to me as my body stilled and emptied.

I pulled the thin blanket up over Olivia and got up, heading for the bathroom. Too hot to put my boxers back on on my way back, I crawled into bed beside her. She laid her head on my shoulder and curled into me, dragging a finger absentmindedly through my chest hair. She began to giggle, and it was the cutest sound to my ears. I loved all of her sounds. I found myself grinning, not having a clue what she found humorous. So, I asked her. "What's so funny?"

"We suck at being friends." Her giggle turned into full on laughter and before I knew it I was laughing along with her.

"It is not our strong point. That's for sure." I agreed still laughing.

Once her laughter died down she put her arm around my waist and looked up at me. "It was really hard being your friend, Fitz."

"It wasn't a walk in the park for me either."

"Really?" She asked.

"Yea. I hated the words as they came out of my mouth when I suggested it. But I didn't want to go through life without you in it somehow, so I figured being your friend was better than nothing at all." I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I almost kissed you at the airport. Out of habit. I had to rein myself in at the last minute."

"I totally caught that though." She said with a smile.

"You did not!" I couldn't believe I had been that transparent.

"Of course I did. I have discovered so many ways of checking you out and getting close to you without you knowing it that I could be the next James Bond. I'm that good!" She gave a proud boastful smirk.

"No way! I have eyes like a hawk."

"Yes way. You might need to get your eyes checked."

"Name one time." I just knew I would be aware of when she had done it.

"Okay. Remember when you smacked into me like a lunatic in the elevator?"

"It's not like I could forget that."

"Well, when I said I needed a minute because I felt dizzy?"

"You were not faking that!" I half demanded.

"Yea I was!" She declared triumphantly. "I was faking my ass off, so you would hold onto me a little longer. It was pathetic, but it worked. I missed being in your arms."

"Your sneakiness knows no bounds. But I'm kinda proud of you for being so creative." I put my arms around her little body and held onto her now, promising myself I would never let go of her again. We had a lot of obstacles in our way that had to be dealt with, but I was determined to overcome all of them with her. I pressed a kiss to her temple and reveled in our happiness, vowing not to let anyone or anything get in the way of it ever again.


	18. Meet in the Middle

Meet In the Middle

 **Fitz's POV**

It was early. I didn't know what time it was, but it was definitely early. I opened my eyes and found my favorite beautiful brown ones looking at me. "Can I help you?" I asked with a smile.

"No." She said with a shrug. "I was just watching you sleep. And thinking things."

My smiled turned into a smirk and I wound my arms around her, flipping her onto her back. "Oh? What kind of things?" I kissed her and felt her melt into the mattress. When I pulled away from her mouth I asked, "Things I could help you with?"

She pushed my hair away from my forehead and smiled up at me. "Actually, yes."

Somehow my grin became even bigger. "I like the sound of that. What would you like for me to do? And please be specific."

Olivia gave me a coy smile and I felt her hands slide down my bare back to grip my ass. I raised my eyebrows at her but waited for her to voice her sexy demands. She stared at me and I wondered if she had gone shy on me? Figuring she needed some courage of her own, I dipped my head and started lightly kissing on her neck. I heard her let out a happy noise and guessed we were getting closer to words coming from her mouth.

"I want..." She breathed out, as her grip on my backside grew firmer.

"Yes?" I whispered into her ear. "What do you want? Whatever it is, you've got it my sexy little vixen." I went back to work in her neck, enjoying it as much as she was.

"Mmmm, I want you to..." She was grinding her center on mine and I was about to lose it.

"Tell me what you want me to do, Liv. I'm dying to know."

"I want...you to...take me to breakfast." She said breathily.

My mouth halted, and I thought about the words she just uttered like a seductress. "Wait. What?"

Olivia let go of my lower cheeks and put her hands on my other ones and pulled my head from her neck. She looked me in the eyes and said, "I want you to take me out for breakfast."

But, but I was hard as iron here! "Right now?" I asked impatiently.

She gave me a look. "You said whatever I wanted you would give it to me." She giggled and pecked my confused looking face. "We didn't get to eat dinner last night because..."

"We both ate." I said with an evil grin as I recalled how we had serviced each other orally. More than once.

"Fitz!" She laughed. "That's not what I meant. I didn't get food last night and I'm starving! I need something to eat please. Breakfast food."

I pushed a strand of her hair off her cheek and leaned down to kiss her once more. "So, what you're saying is, if I take you to breakfast, then, since we are off today, we can spend the entire day together in this bed?"

Her nose crinkled but she was smiling. "I didn't say that."

"You didn't say no either though." I replied with a cocky grin. I began taking my weight off of her when her hands went to my back and held me in place.

"Where do you think you're going?" She demanded.

"You just said you wanted me to take you to breakfast!" Maybe she had bumped her head too many times on the headboard last night?

"You have to pay a toll before you can get up." She flirted.

"So, if I don't pay the toll, we have to stay here all day long? That's harsh." I grinned playfully.

"You have three words to say to me before you can get up." She was smiling again, and it was a beautiful sight.

"I want food?" I teased. She pinched my ass and I yelped. "OW! I guess those aren't the words, huh?"

"Fitz" she said in a challenging voice.

"Your breath stinks?" I laughed. She tried to shove me off of her, but I remained in place. "I'm just kidding, Liv." I looked down at her and cupped one of her cheeks. "I love you."

She smiled that bright gorgeous smile I knew she saved just for me and I ended up smiling along with her. "Those are the words. I love you too."

Our lips met in a lazy yet all consuming kiss that reminded me of our initial coupling last night. I didn't want to get out of bed just yet, but I did promise her to give her whatever she wanted if she told me. I'd have to be more careful with my wording around her. "Stop trying to seduce me, Liv. I'm trying to get up and take you to breakfast. Besides, you should have gotten plenty of sex last night. Keep it in your pants, woman."

"You make that very difficult." She whined. A smile slowly spread across her face as she added, "But I'm not wearing pants right now."

I stilled on top of her, wanting to make sure I understood her words. "What are you saying exactly?"

Her fingers walked slowly up my back and across my jaw until they reached my lips. "One more time before we leave couldn't hurt, right? I mean..."

I didn't give her a chance to change her mind and moved off of her long enough to roll a condom on. Reaching a hand down between our bodies, I pushed my still hard length inside of her. She closed her eyes and let out a delicious moan of pleasure before arching her back and pulling me close to her. When  
her stomach growled I knew my time with her in this moment was limited so I doubled my efforts to get us both to the explosive ending we needed.

Later, sitting across from her in a restaurant eating breakfast I heard sounds coming from her that were similar to the ones I had brought from her an hour before in the hotel room. I raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing. She never noticed and continued to eat like her life depended on it. She would need her strength later on when we burned all these calories off together.

"I've been thinking" she began.

I shoved a forkful of eggs into my mouth, chewed a few times before swallowing and replied, "about what?"

"I think we should set up a meeting with Cyrus and Stephen and tell them what's going on between us." She sipped her juice calmly.

I choked on my eggs and reached for my own juice glass, taking a large gulp of it. I took deep breaths until the edge of the discomfort waned. "Have you lost your fucking mind?"

"No. I think it's time they knew about us. Now that you love me it's a serious thing. Serious things need to be reported. It's going to get out sooner or later and I don't want to hide it any more. So, we should tell them." She stated.

I reached across the table and held her hand. "It is serious. This thing between us is serious. We are in a monogamous adult relationship and it's important to me. The most important thing to me. But they aren't going to like it. Hell, they will probably do everything in their power to destroy it. Destroy us. I don't want that to happen."

"It's not going to happen. We aren't going to let it happen."

"You get the deer in headlights look in your eyes whenever Cyrus calls you on the phone from across the country, Liv. You have acted like a crazy person and claimed your phone was dropped in a fountain to avoid his call. Remember that? How are you going to be able to stand up to him face to face? He could  
ship you back to New York you know? And then what? I'll be left here all by myself." I gave her a pitiful face, hoping she would re-think her plan.

"You did the same thing at the same time when Abby called you, so don't act like I was on the crazy train all by myself. I'll admit that he makes me nervous, but if you are beside me I'll be fine. And I'm going back to New York sooner or later anyways." She chuckled at me. "You're pathetic. Stop with the face. It's not going to work on me."

I decided to try another tactic. "You're saying you are completely comfortable with sitting down and telling Stephen, the man who asked you out on a date, that you are in a committed relationship with me, his subordinate?" I folded my arms across my chest with a victorious look on my face.

Olivia sat back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest as well. "The thought doesn't excite me, no. But he needs to be informed about it since he is your boss. I really think this is the best thing for us to do. Think about the positive aspects of it coming out." She started counting on her fingers. "No more hiding anything. No more being hit on by your boss. No more drama from Abby with her concerns about us being in hotels together. We'd be saving the company money by needing only one hotel room rather than two. This would be a good thing."

"And now let's take a moment to concentrate on the negative aspects of telling them. You get shipped back to New York on the first available flight, and while we are in a serious committed relationship, we are about forty thousand miles apart. Neither one of us gets the promotion because that is going to be detrimental to our situation. One of us cannot be the other one's boss working for the same company and it be fine. It's against company policy. So, one of us gets fired." I felt like I had made valid points for her to think over and it appeared that she was doing just that.

After a few minutes of silence from her, Olivia looked up at me and asked, "So, do you want to end it?"

My eyes grew wide in shock that she would suggest such a thing. "What? No! That's not what I meant."

"I wouldn't hold it against you if you wanted to you know. I know we are both after the same thing and in the end that will be damaging to the one of us who doesn't get what they are after. So, I wouldn't hold it against you at all if you wanted to end it."

I slid out of my chair and went to her, pulling her out of her own chair and into my arms. "Shut up. No. I don't want to end it. We just got started yesterday." I pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. "Ending it is not an option, okay?

She looked up at me, studying my face or my eyes or my intentions. I had no idea which, but I didn't care either. I was being honest and sincere with her and I wanted her to really know it. To trust me when I said I didn't want to end things with her. Her brown eyes flicked back and forth between my blue ones for a long time. "You're asking me to trust you?"

"I am. And you should trust me because I love you with my whole heart." I didn't know how else to put it to make her understand.

"Then you have to trust me too. Trust me when I say that I have a plan. Sure, things are going to get uncomfortable when we meet all together. There will definitely be 'I want to kick your ass' vibes felt in that room. But trust me when I sat that it will work. I know what I'm talking about and there is nothing they can do to us because we are co-workers who are dating. Not one thing."

This little woman was fired up and determined to make this meeting happen. I don't know why it was so important to her, but I also wasn't going to stand in her way. When Olivia Pope was in kick ass mode, you didn't fuck with her. "I'll agree to it on one condition."

"Jesus" she breathed out impatiently.

"Look, if we are going to have a meeting with both of our bosses, I am not going in there unprepared. I would like to know exactly what you have up your sleeve so that we are on the same page. It's not exactly going to display a strong united front if you're holding all the cards while I'm sitting there looking like an asshole without a clue." She had to see the logic in that.

She nodded a few times silently and said, "Okay."

"Okay?" I echoed.

"Okay. We will go back to the hotel and I'll tell you what my plan is. You can help me perfect it so that neither one of our bosses will have an inch of wiggle room when we present the facts."

I grinned down at her. "You want me to perfect your plan? I mean, I guess I could do that. Me being as close to perfect as a man can be."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes before releasing her hold on me, getting back into her chair, and resuming her meal. I chuckled at her theatrics and followed her lead. A thought came into my head and I absentmindedly said, "Before we go back to the hotel room, we are going to need to go by the pharmacy."

"Why?" She asked between bites. "It's not a problem. I'm just asking."

I looked to my left and then my right before I leaned closer towards her. Olivia's eyes narrowed, and she leaned a little closer to me as well. "We're out of condoms."

She tilted her head to the side and said, "Really? That is top secret information?"

I cleared my throat and raised my voice, saying, "So, we can talk about condoms out loud then?"

"Will you shut up!" She hissed, looking around.

"Is it top secret or is it public information? You can't have it both ways you know?" I teased.

"It's a good thing you had one left this morning." She said with a smile.

"It was a magnificent thing that I had one left this morning. I would have hated to leave you all hot and bothered so I could jog to the store to buy more."

"You would not have gotten laid if you had jogged to the store and back. You would have come back all sweaty and gross." She crinkled her nose at the thought of it.

"Okay, drove to the store then." I tried. "That would have been faster anyway."

"I would have gotten up, gotten dressed, and went to breakfast all by myself the second you left." She giggled.

God, I loved that little woman's giggle. I found myself grinning at her but remembered that she had just admitted that she would have left me for food. "Wait! I would have come back to the hotel room, anticipating hot and steamy sex with you, and you would have left me to eat breakfast? That's rude, don't you think?"

She made a non committal face and said, "I didn't eat dinner last night, Fitz. You should know that I would wake up starving this morning! You should be happy that sex even happ..."

"Ohhhhhh, no you don't." I began as I wagged my finger in front of her face. "You were all 'one more time before we leave couldn't hurt.' Don't be putting this morning's sex on me, Liv. You were practically begging for it." Naturally, the waitress chose that moment to put the check on our table. I felt like a fucking pervert and knew I sounded like one too. I looked up at her and said, "I'm sorry you had to hear that."

She avoided eye contact with me and walked away from our table. Olivia burst into wild laughter. "That. Was. Everything! She looked at you like you were the biggest creep on earth."

I gave her a wolfish grin. "Who says I'm not?"

"You really need to lower your voice when you're talking about sex. Some people find it offensive." She suggested.

"That's true, but the people who find it offensive are the ones who aren't getting any on a regular basis." I got her there and we both knew it. I grinned victoriously.

"Oh. So, what you're saying, is you were one of those people for the past two weeks?" Now she grinned victoriously.

I looked at the check laying on the table and reached for my wallet. I threw fifty dollars on the table and rose from my chair. "We're done talking about that. Let's go." She laughed all the way to the car.

We drove to the pharmacy and grabbed a few boxes of condoms before heading back to the hotel. We had a lot to talk about, plans to refine, and phone calls to make. And after all that shit was finalized and taken care of, there were lots of dirty things I wanted to do to Olivia. We were going to eat dinner before any of the latter got started so I wouldn't have to get up any earlier than we had already planned to feed her.

 **Olivia's POV**

When Fitz and I got back to the hotel room I told him of the plan I had come up with to tell Cyrus and Stephen that we were dating. He agreed to most of it but had a few additions to make. They were smart ones that I hadn't thought of and we wrote it all down along with a time line. We were both ready to get it over with and move on with our lives.

The only question about the whole plan that kept niggling in the back of my mind was what we would do when one of us was awarded the promotion? We could no longer be in a relationship working for the same company when one of us was in the position to be the other one's boss. When Fitz and I discussed it, he had said that we would cross that bridge when we got to it. But that didn't seem like a smart way to handle it to me. We needed to have a plan for when it did happen instead of waiting for it.

Fitz leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss to my lips. "I'm going down to the lobby to call Stephen and set up the meeting for tomorrow. When I'm done, I'll bring my stuff up here and we'll officially be roommates. You'll be okay by yourself talking to Cyrus?"

"You're funny. I'll be fine." I chuckled and pointed to the door. When Fitz turned to leave, I added, "Wait!"

He stopped and turned his head to look at me. "You need me to stay? I can call Stephen later and be your rock if you want?"

"No, thanks. I was just going to ask you to walk a little slower, so I could check out your ass in those jeans." I said with a smile.

"I feel so used." He said with great exaggeration.

"Sure, you do. You love it and you know it." I said, winking lustily at him.

He shook his head as he started on his way to the door. After taking one step, though, he stopped and dropped his phone to the carpeted floor. He looked at me from over his shoulder and covered his mouth with his hand. "Oooops" he flirted before bending over slowly to pick it back up.

"You're pathetic!" I laughed. "Get out now."

"Just making sure you get your private show. I hope it was worth every penny." He popped his own ass with his hand and then left the room.

I wasn't sure what just happened, but at least it hadn't been boring. That man was crazy as hell, but he was my man now and nobody else was getting private shows but me from now on. I took a deep breath to clear my head and opened my phone's contact list, scrolling until I came to Cyrus' name. "He's going to act like...Cyrus. But you've been dealing with him for years. You got this, Olivia." I touched the small blue phone icon and listened to the ringing.

"Cyrus Beene." He said flatly.

He obviously answered his phone without looking at the face of it because I knew I was programmed into his. "Hello, Cyrus."

"Liv!" He exclaimed exuberantly. "How the hell are ya? How's California treating you?"

"I'm fine and California is great. How are things in New York?" I asked, trying to get the pleasantries out of the way, but also knowing it was how to get him to warm up a little.

"New York is fantastic as always. It's been raining a lot this week, but I don't suppose you took the time out of what should be a very busy work schedule to call and ask me about the weather?"

Leave it to Cyrus to get right to the heart of the matter and slather on the guilt at the same time. "I didn't. I need to schedule a meeting with you for tomorrow at eleven a.m. I checked with Suzanne already and know your calendar is open pretty much all day tomorrow."

He was quiet for a moment and I could picture him trying to figure out what I was up to. "Are you sure you have free time to meet me in New York before lunch?"

"I always have time for you, but I can't fly all the way to New York. Busy schedule and all. So, I was hoping you could meet me half way. Literally." Here comes the part of the conversation where his inquisitive nature goes into overdrive.

"What are you up to kid? Why do you want to set up a meeting with me tomorrow? And where exactly are you considering halfway?"

I knew Cyrus Beene almost as well as he knew himself. "I have to be in a store early Thursday and Friday mornings and this really can't wait."

"But those are your last two stores to visit before you make your way back here and are kept so busy you won't have time to check with my secretary and schedule secret meetings behind my back."

"Like I said, this can't wait until I'm back in New York. Tomorrow is the best I can do. I know it's short notice, but would you please make an exception for me?" Appealing to his kind nature was usually a last resort for me. I hated even using it because Cyrus didn't have much of a kind nature to begin with, so hoping to find him in a good mood was rare.

"You don't do last minute, Liv. You're up to something. I've known you for a very long time and this..."

I could practically see him gesturing wildly with his hands from where I sat forty thousand miles away.

"thisssss is not the Olivia Pope I know and have known for a very long time. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but you're definitely up to something." He paused his rant for a minute and then said, "You still haven't told me exactly where is halfway? If I were interested in meeting you that is?"

"You're interested. Otherwise you would have hung up on me already. Or just said no. Since I'm the one requesting an audience with you, I bought you two tickets to meet me."

"What kind of tickets?" His voice was cautious, but he was definitely interested too.

"Airline tickets. Round trip. On me. They should be messengered to your house in a few hours. You're booked on a seven thirty flight into Tulsa for tomorrow morning. You should get served breakfast on the flight as well. I tried to take care of you because I know you'd do the same for me. Our meeting should last no longer than an hour or so and then you are booked on the one o'clock flight back to New York." Here came the part where Cyrus would probably start freaking out. I waited for it.

It took a few minutes, but instead of yelling, as I had anticipated, Cyrus began laughing. I knew that even though it sounded jolly, it wasn't a good sign. "Tulsa?" He laughed loudly some more. "You actually think I'm going to fly to...to Tulsa?" he spat out. "To meet with you tomorrow?" He laughed for a few minutes more before he suddenly stopped and shouted. "Are you insane? What the hell is this all about, Olivia?"

"I need a meeting with you Cyrus about something very important, and it can't wait. Tomorrow is the best I can do and while I know it's short notice, I did pay for it myself. All I'm asking from you is to show up. It's really not that difficult."

"One question, Liv." He asked pleasantly.

That caught me completely off guard. "Yes?"

"Will Mr. Grant be at this meeting as well?"

He sounded...smug! Like he had just figured out the cure for cancer all by himself. How in the hell did he know that Fitz would be there? My mind raced through the possibilities that went from something wild like Stephen calling Cyrus to him just guessing and making it sound more like a fact. The reasonable side of my brain knew it had to be the latter. I just didn't understand what significance it had on our meeting?

"Liv? You still there?" His voice sounded sing song-ish, like he was rubbing something in.

I decided that since the purpose of the meeting was honesty, I'd stick with that for this conversation too. "I'm here. Mr. Grant will be in attendance with me tomorrow. His boss, Mr. Finch will be there as well."

"This mystery meeting just got a whole lot more interesting. Mr. Finch is willing to fly to Tulsa under these top secret mysterious circumstances?" He asked with faux excitement.

"I'm assuming so. Mr. Grant is discussing the details of the meeting with him as we speak."

"What does his face look like? Does it appear that Mr. Finch is going along with the idea? Or is he giving Mr. Grant a difficult time and wants to know much more, as I do, but is afraid to know what he already suspects?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Cyrus thought he knew something. He was acting way too confident for someone who didn't. "I really don't know. Mr. Grant isn't around me right now."

"Interesting choice of words. He isn't around me right now. You know..."

"Cyrus, are you going to come to the meeting or not?" I was over his play time at my expense for today.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. I have a pretty good idea what the purpose of this meeting is already, but because you went to all the trouble of checking my schedule and buying me a round trip ticket, and because I've never been to Tulsa, and also love to be thoroughly entertained, I'll be there. I have some happy news to deliver to you myself."

"And what might that be?" I asked in a tone that sounded worried, even though I tried to mask it. With Cyrus, it could be anything from a manager quitting to a pay cut.

"Oh, now that wouldn't be any fun, Liv. Let me have a little of my own. I'll be sure to discuss it with you tomorrow at the meeting."

I drummed up some false excitement. "Great. I'll see you in the morning."

"See you then."

I ended the call with and began pacing around the room. He hadn't put up much of a fight over the meeting. I had been expecting his questions and the yelling, but it was his calm reserve that had me worried. Cyrus had trained me, and I knew his golden rule was not the typical one we are taught in school at a young age. Rather, it was to know all the facts beforehand so that you are always prepared. It's what made him so great at his job at corporate because he was always prepared.

When he announced that he had some news to share with me, I had been rattled. He knew something that I didn't and that wasn't sitting well with me. I wondered what that was all about? Knowing I had to wait until tomorrow to find out what it was, was unnerving. Cyrus had the element of surprise once again. What the hell did he have to tell me? I thought about that more than how I would deliver my own news to him and Stephen. Knowing Cyrus, that was probably the goal.

I sighed loudly while all of these thoughts ran through my head. Fitz was still gone, and I wondered how his conversation with his boss was going? I hoped Stephen was being a little more easy going about it and not nearly as inquisitive, yet seemingly all knowing as Cyrus has been. It was comforting to know that Fitz and I could talk all of these things through once he came back to my room. Knowing I wouldn't have any measurement of peace until I spoke to Fitz about how things went on his end, I plopped down on my large bed. The exhaustion from the previous night and early morning activities was catching up to me as my eyes felt heavy. I laid down and was out like a light.

Sometime later, I woke up and stretched lazily. I didn't know how long I had been asleep, but the nap was needed. I felt so much better and opened my eyes. The first thing I noticed was that the television was on. The volume was very low, but I didn't remember turning it on before I fell asleep. "Oh, you're awake." Fitz said from beside me on the bed.

"What time is it?" I asked on a yawn. "And what are you watching?"

He glanced at his watch and answered, "It's three in the afternoon and I'm catching a basketball game. I hope it didn't wake you up? I tried to keep it as low as possible."

I moved to cuddle into his side and his arm went around me instantly. "Wow. Two hours. The television didn't wake me up. I didn't plan on falling asleep at all, but I think my full stomach had other plans. Did you get all of your stuff already?"

He kissed my head. "I did. I don't usually bring much on the road with me anyways, so it was easy. It's a good thing I had my own key card, or you would have been pissed off with me banging on the door and rousing you from your beauty sleep."

"Are you saying I need beauty sleep?" I accused with a smile.

"Wrong choice of words. You could be awake every day for the rest of your life and never need beauty sleep."

"Wow. Nicely recovered." I praised. I remembered the multiple questions I had earlier and bolted upright. "How did your conversation with Stephen go? Was he mad? Freaked out? Curious? Did he agree to it?"

"That's a lot of questions." He chuckled.

"Well?!" I needed answers to be able to breathe a little easier.

"Our call went fine. He wasn't mad. Or freaked out. But he was very curious. He asked a lot of questions, but I expected him to. It's pretty random when you think about it, for me to invite him to a meeting I'm not explaining the reasoning for. Telling him the location was the icing on the cake though." Fitz looked at me with a serious expression. "Stephen hates cake."

"That bad, huh?" I asked. "So, we need a plan B then?"

"Nah, he agreed to it." Fitz reached for the remote and turned the volume up on the television.

"FITZ!" I yelled. "You could have told me that to begin with!"

"That wouldn't have been as much fun." He laughed.

I grabbed the remote and turned the tv off before throwing the remote across the room. "Hey! I was watching that." He said, still laughing.

"Tell me everything both of you said. I need to know. I've been cooped up in this room thinking of all the possible scenarios in my mind and none of them are good outcomes."

"What did Cyrus say?" Fitz asked as he studied my face.

"He agreed to it too. It was really weird though. He said he has something to tell me, but said he'd wait to tell me in person. He was acting like he already knew why we were meeting. He asked if you were going to be there."

"Stephen asked me if you would be there too. Although, I think his reasons are not the same ones as Cyrus'." Fitz pulled me onto his lap and nuzzled my neck. "The sooner we tell both of them the better. I won't have to imagine my boss trying to come up with new ways to ask you out anymore."

I shivered in his arms. I didn't want to imagine that either.

"Like I said, Stephen was curious about the whole thing. He has a busy morning early tomorrow, but he said he would shift some things to meet with us. We can't really ask for more than that. It'll be good to have this dealt with once and for all."

I turned in his arms and wrapped mine around him. "I agree. I'm a little worried about whatever Cyrus has up his sleeve, but we will deal with that together. Just like we will deal with everything else that comes our way from here on out."

"We've only got two more stops to make and then our little work adventure here is over." I held onto him tightly, not wanting to think about that, but also knowing it was days away.

"That's enough gloom and doom for one day. We still have this week together. Let's focus on that, okay?" He suggested with a smile.

I had to agree with him. The thought of going back to New York and leaving him here was too depressing. It was a reality, but it wasn't today's reality. I smiled back at him and said, "okay. You wanna have sex instead?"

"Hell no!" He declared loudly.

My eyebrows dropped, and I felt my face turn into a frown. "Why the hell not?"

"Because you will turn into a starving beggar in a few hours. It's raining outside and once I'm in, I'm staying in. So, we'll go to dinner first, so you have no excuses to wake my ass up at the crack of dawn with demands for food."

"And when we get back here?" I asked, as an evil grin tipped the edges of my mouth.

"I'm going to do things to you that will make the neighbors wonder if you're being murdered and probably call the front desk to report us." He wore an evil grin of his own now.

"Perfect." I attacked his mouth with eager kisses as my tongue sought his. The grip of our hands became more desperate and tighter on each other. "I want you right now."

Fitz broke the kiss and raised his eyebrows at me as he shook his head in the negative. "Nice try. Food first. Screaming later."

I pouted all the way to the restaurant, hoping to get him to change his mind. But once we were seated all hope of skipping dinner was gone out the window. It was just as well too, because I was hungry. I flirted with him shamelessly during dinner and watched as Fitz clenched his jaw several times as he stared at me and kept threatening in a low voice, 'you're going to pay for that, Liv."

It always made me smile and feel a little bolder about doing it even more. We never made it to dessert. Instead, Fitz called the waitress over for the check, dropped large bills – enough to cover a large tip- and we left hurriedly. I laughed all the way to the car again, but for different reasons this time.

The two of us barely made it into the hotel room together before clothes started flying off, hands began searching for heated flesh to possess, and mouths began eagerly marking up skin. Three minutes after the door closed, I was already screaming Fitz's name. It was going to be another long night. Good thing I had a nap earlier.


	19. Meeting of the Minds

Meeting of the Minds

 **Olivia's POV**

Fitz and I got up earlier than usual and went to breakfast before we headed to the airport. We sat there eating and purposefully didn't talk about our meeting later with our superiors. There would be plenty of time for that once we arrived in Oklahoma. We discussed the store we would be visiting the following morning and made notes of what we had to do to prepare for it. The typical stuff we had done a million times and could do without the notes, but it helped to pass the time while we ate.

"These whole grain pancakes are amazing!" Fitz exclaimed. "Some of the best I've ever had."

I hurriedly ate my eggs – over easy – and made a face when I was more than halfway done with them.

"What's the matter?" Fitz asked as he noticed my face.

"There's something, I don't know, weird about these eggs."

"How do you know what they taste like? You practically inhaled them!"

"Ha Ha." I said as I rolled my eyes. "I was starving! Maybe the cook put a new spice on them or it's just the fact that I haven't had them over easy in a while. Take a bite."

"I'm not eating something that tastes weird, Liv." He replied, making a face. "Don't eat them if you don't want them."

I turned my white plate until the eggs were on the side away from me and ate my toast instead. I was no longer interested in eating and after he was finished we paid the check and left the restaurant.

"Why are we flying to Tulsa, again?" Fitz asked me as we boarded the plane.

"Because it's the halfway point between New York and Los Angeles. So, we all had to travel about the same distance to get there. Also, Tulsa is in neither of our territories. It's our new Switzerland. Of course, it will be easier for Cyrus and Stephen to kill both of us and hide the bodies, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there." I handed Fitz my purse and took my seat as he stowed it overhead.

He plopped down in the seat beside me, took my hand and kissed it, and continued holding onto it as we sat there waiting to hear the emergency shpiel from the flight attendant. "Are you nervous?" He asked me.

I shrugged. "Not really. "This is gonna work. For now, anyways. I don't know about when summer is over, and they have to choose one of us to take the promotion, but for now it's what needs to be done."

"Do you really think they will try to hide our dead bodies?" He asked with a grin.

"That would require actual work, and Cyrus isn't really into that." I chuckled. I looked up into his perfect blue eyes and said, "Nothing else matters other than I love you."

He leaned over and pressed his lips to mine softly. "I love you too. I can't wait until we land so we can scope out the hotel's lounge before Cyrus and Stephen get there. Eating an early breakfast before we left was a great idea. I just hope I'm hungry for brunch in five hours."

"You'll be able to deal with the meeting better on a full stomach. Besides, you're always hungry. You'll be fine." Fitz and I had done our research when we had chosen the destination and had decided to hold our meeting at The Boiler Room inside the Mayo Hotel in downtown Tulsa. Not only was it beautiful, it also had a fantastic menu. The decision had been an easy one. I was glad we had decided to leave extra early to get there before Cyrus of Stephen. It gave us time to go over the plan one more time and do so in a place we were a little more familiar with. "We should be there in three hours."

"What are we going to do for three hours? Oh, I have an idea!" He said excitedly.

I knew that look on his face. It wasn't happening. "Fitz, we're not joining the mile high club by having sex in the bathroom." His face deflated instantly. "That thing is nasty and the size of a postage stamp. No way. Read your Sky Mall magazine." He huffed loudly but picked up the magazine.

Almost exactly three hours later we were finally wheels down and no one on the plane seemed happier about it than Fitz. He stood up the moment the announcement was made that passengers could unfasten their seatbelts. "Let's do this thing."

We exited the plane and waded through the decent sized crowds of people at busy Tulsa International Airport. When we were finally outside, thankful to be able to skip the craziness that is baggage claim, Fitz and I headed straight for the closest taxi sitting curbside.

We climbed inside the backseat and the driver, in a bored voice asked, "where to?" and turned on the meter.

Fitz put his arm around me and said, "The Mayo Hotel please."

Fifteen minutes later, we pulled up in front of a beautiful building in the middle of Tulsa. Fitz paid the driver and we scooted out of the cab and stared up at it. I had done a Google search on the building and knew that while it looked old on the outside, the inside had been completely renovated and the pictures of it were gorgeous. "Are you sure this is the place?" Fitz asked.

"It says Mayo right there" I said pointing.

"It doesn't look like much." He commented as he shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand.

"Don't judge a book by the cover. I had no idea you had all those perfect abs underneath your dress shirts either." I replied with sass.

He grinned at me. "You know, we are early by a few hours. Maybe we should get a room while we wait?"

I chuckled at him. "You are shameless. We are here for a reason. A specific one. And while a round of sex with you would definitely take the edge off my nerves..." He wrapped his arms around me from behind and nuzzled into my neck. "We don't need distractions. We need to keep our focus. Besides, we have back to back early days starting tomorrow and then we will have this road trip over and done with."

He withdrew from my neck and rested his head on my shoulder. "I don't want to talk about that right now" he said quietly.

I took a deep breath and pushed the thought away from my own brain. "Let's go scope out The Boiler Room." I said.

"Is that a sexual innuendo by chance?" He asked.

I could see his evil grin even though he was standing behind me. I shook my head back and forth and an amused chuckle escaped my lips. "No! Focus, Fitzgerald." I grabbed his hand and led the way. "Let's go."

"Remind me not to take you out of town again." He said as he reluctantly followed me. "You are no fun at all."

I turned around and arched an eyebrow at him before putting my arms around his neck. "Is that so?"

He responded to my playful attitude and put his arms around me, holding me close. "It is. What are you going to do about it?"

"Maybe we'll use that postage stamp and join the mile high club on the flight back home?" I watched his face, waiting for his eyes to cross. I should have known better.

"You know what you do to postage stamps, right?" He asked with a smirk.

I shrugged. "Mail stuff?" I had no idea where he was going with this train of thought.

Fitz shook his head back and forth. "Uh uh. You lick them."

I think my eyes crossed at the thought and I felt a familiar ache between my thighs.

"You're thinking about it in vivid detail right now, aren't you?" He asked, still smirking.

"Shut up. Let's go." I replied. It was the only thing I could think to say.

Fitz and I were greeted by a hostess inside The Boiler Room and asked us how many were in our party. I explained to her that we had a meeting of four scheduled at eleven and asked if we could look around for a few minutes. She smiled broadly and told us to help ourselves.

The floor was black and white tiled and there was a lot of metal from the original steel boiler once housed in the Penthouse. The overall vibe inside seemed to be casual and fun. There weren't a lot of people inside, so I went up the few steps and found several tables for four. I kept my eye on the one in the furthest corner for our meeting later that morning.

"We need to find out where the bathrooms are located." I informed Fitz. "There's nothing worse than not knowing where they are when you're in a new place." He pointed behind me and I saw sign with an arrow. They weren't far from the table I intended to hold our meeting at. We wandered around for a few more minutes and I took mental notes of the layout. I didn't think it would happen, but if either Cyrus or Stephen bolted, I wanted to know where they might be headed.

We walked back to the hostess and I said, "Excuse me? This is going to sound a bit bizarre, but can you tell me when your shift ends?"

She eyed Fitz and I and must have decided that we were basically harmless. "It's over at one. Why do you ask?"

I smiled at her. "Perfect. We are having a small meeting over brunch here at eleven with two of our coworkers, but the two of us will arrive at ten thirty. I was wondering if you could possibly save that back table for us." I discreetly handed her a fifty dollar bill and then pointed to the table I had mentally claimed earlier. "I'll give you another fifty when we arrive if the table is available for us. And you'll get a great tip when we're done eating as well."

She smiled brightly at me and tucked the large bill into the pocket of her jeans. "I'll take care of it personally, Miss…?"

"Pope." I stated firmly. "And thank you. We'll be back at ten thirty."

"It's my pleasure." She chirped before walking away.

"What are you going to do if that table isn't available when we get here, Liv? You just gave her fifty bucks for nothing."

"It'll be available." I said confidently as we walked out the door.

"But how do you now that for sure?"

I stopped walking and looked him in the eye. "Her name is Carla. She had on a nice watch, but it wasn't an expensive one. She had a college book on economics tucked up behind the hostess podium. She needs the money and one hundred dollars to make sure a table is free at a specific time with the promise of a hefty tip is incentive enough for her to take care of it. Stop stressing."

"How the hell did you notice all of that?" He asked, turning around to look back inside.

I shrugged. "I'm observant. It's what makes me great at my job. Now, we have about fifteen minutes until we have to walk back in there and wait for the big bad wolves to enter. What do you want to do? And don't say sex."

Fitz made a sour face and tilted his head back and forth as he sarcastically mouthed the words 'and don't say sex'. He sighed and looked around with a bland expression until his eyes landed on something and he immediately grabbed my hand and excitedly pulled me down the sidewalk.

"Where are we going, Fitz?" I hissed. I was having a hard time keeping up with his ridiculous pace in heels and I jerked my hand out of his. He looked back at me with a questioning look. "I almost tripped in these heels. Do you really want to screw up my ankle again due to impatience?"

He looked down at my feet and grimaced. "I'm sorry. I'm excited and got carried away. Are you okay?"

I felt bad for my own impatience with him. "I'm fine. Where are we going anyways?"

He shot me a wide grin and pointed at a sign. "We're going to get a whiskey at ten fifteen in the morning? I don't think so."

"Not that! The sign below it." He said rolling his eyes.

I squinted. "Seriously, Fitz?"

"Come on! It'll be fun! We can do something we've never done before together on this trip to Tulsa." He coaxed.

To say he was excited was an understatement. I didn't see what the hoopla was all about, but I agreed. "Alright, let's do it."

We walked into a bar and Fitz asked the bar tender, "Where's the machine?" The bar tender jerked a thumb to his left and we kept walking.

Fitz pulled back the red curtain and sat down on the small bench inside the photo booth. Naturally, I sat on his lap. He pulled out a couple of ones but held them in his hand before inserting them into the machine. He turned to me and said, "These pictures are for our eyes only, so we can do whatever we want to. But they have to be fun or we will have to redo them."

Fun. How to capture fun in four quick consecutive photos? My mind went through the possibilities and I calculated what poses I could do. Maybe I could…

"Stop overthinking it, Liv." He said with a smile. "It's supposed to be spontaneous. As someone very wise said to me recently, stop stressing."

I stuck my tongue out at him and saw a flash from the corner of my eye. I jumped, realizing he had put his money into the machine and the fun was starting. I laughed at his fake shocked expression and the flash went off again. He put his fingers up like bunny ears behind my head and I stuck my finger just inside the hole of his nose. Flash again. I knew we really didn't have time to re take the pictures, but I was having a great time with him. Not wanting to waste the last picture, I grabbed his face, pulled him towards me, and kissed him. Though my eyes were closed, I knew the moment had been captured perfectly but we continued with the kiss for several heated moments before parting and smiling at each other.

"Now comes the fun part." Fitz patted my hip and I got the hint to get up off his lap. We stood by the machine and heard the pictures being processed inside it. He held my hand and said, "I love you" as we leaned against the photo booth. I couldn't keep the smile off my face.

I heard a noise and looked down, seeing the pictures in four perfect little squares. I snatched them up before Fitz could and giggled as I looked at them. "We are so goofy."

Fitz stood beside me and looked down at them too. "That's the point. Now you get two and I get two." He ripped the small thin white photo paper between pictures two and three and proceeded to quickly mix them up in his hands before putting them behind his back. "Pick a hand."

I looked up into his beautiful blue eyes. They were full of mischief and excitement. I lifted a hand and made my choice with his right hand. He brought that hand in front of him and I was smiling at the realization that I had picked the first two pictures. I immediately put them in my wallet inside my purse for safe keeping. Fitz put his two photos in his wallet and then held out his arm and said, "Shall we?"

I looped my arm through his and replied, "We shall!"

When we were once again standing in front of The Boiler Room, Fitz dipped his head and brushed his lips against mine. It was a sweet soft kiss and made me want more. When he pulled away from me he gave me a smile and said, "For courage."

Carly had indeed saved our table and I gave her the other fifty as discreetly as before. We sat down and ordered something to drink and sipped on it while we waited for the others in our party to arrive. Cyrus got there ten minutes later. We watched him wander in and look around like a nosey old woman watching her neighbors. He couldn't see us, but we could see him. Carly brought him to our table and I introduced him to Fitz.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Grant." Cyrus chimed, pumping his arm with a huge smug smile. "I wish I could say I've heard a lot about you, but honestly, I haven't."

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Beene. I haven't heard much about you either." Fitz replied. Cy's smile fell immediately, but he recovered from it quick enough. "It's nice to meet you though." Fitz glanced over Cyrus' shoulder and announced, "Stephen is here too."

Cyrus and I turned to look at the door to see the tall brunette Brit standing there looking around wearing a confused expression. Carly brought Stephen to our table and he and Cyrus met each other for the first time. "Can I get you gentlemen something to drink?" She asked pleasantly.

Whatever they said seemed mumbled to my ears. My eyes flew open wide and darted around the room. Remembering the layout from our exploring earlier, my hand went to my mouth and I darted into the ladies' room in a mad rush and without a word.

 **Fitz's POV**

I wasn't sure what had just happened? One minute, Olivia was standing nearby making introductions and the next she was running for the bathroom. Something was wrong, and I stood with Stephen and Cyrus for a moment as they chatted before I decided to go and find out what it was. I walked away. Just left our bosses at the table looking dumbfounded as to what was going on.

I got to the restroom door and knocked on it softly. I had no idea if it was a single or multi stall bathroom, but it didn't matter. I was going in there. "Liv?" I called out. I listened with my ear as close to the door as humanly possible but didn't hear anything.

I tried to turn the door knob. I was surprised to discover that it wasn't locked and hesitated before going inside. What if someone else was in there? The internal war waged for exactly fifteen seconds before I took a step inside and called out, "Olivia? Are you okay?"

I heard a toilet flush and froze with the door half open. If a woman other than Olivia came out, she would think I was a pervert. I waited quietly until the door opened, prepared to run out of the one I was holding open, until Olivia stepped out. She looked terrible. She was breathing heavy, and her skin was flushed. It looked like she had beads of sweat on her forehead.

She looked up at me on her way to the sink and stopped dead in her tracks. "What are you doing in here? It's the ladies room, Fitz!" She turned the water on, grabbed some paper towels, and began blotting her face with them.

I closed the door and went to her. "Who cares if this is the ladies room? You bolted in here as fast as lightning. What happened to you? Are you alright?"

She stood up taller, looked at herself in the mirror, and wiped her mouth. "I threw up. It hit me out of nowhere."

I put my arms around her. "Are you okay now? Do I need to take you to the emergency room or something? Do you feel any better?"

"You have a lot of questions." She took a deep breath. "I think I'm fine."

"What do you think caused it?" I asked.

"I honestly don't know. My mind raced through the possibilities as I was vomiting. From something simple such as nerves about this meeting to..." She dropped her head and rested it on my chest.

I rubbed her back in gentle circles waiting for her to finish her sentence. After a minute she remained silent. I had to know what she had been thinking. "To what, Liv? Is it something serious?"

She chuckled humorlessly. "It's pretty serious. But I don't want to talk about it."

I put my finger under her chin and directed her gaze up to mine. She was making me nervous talking about something serious being wrong with her. She hadn't been sick like this before. If something serious was in fact wrong with her, I wanted her to know I was with her. No matter what it might be. "Whatever this serious thing might be, we'll deal with it together. I promise. But you've got to tell me about it."

"What if I'm pregnant?" She asked flatly.

My eyes narrowed at her. "What?" My reaction had more bite to it than I meant, but I couldn't help it. "But we use condoms every single time we're together. And it's only been a few days since we got back together. You couldn't have gotten pregnant that fast?"

She gave me a weary look. "Condoms are only about eighty-five percent effective at preventing pregnancy. Besides, what about the first time we got together? That was a few weeks ago. It's completely possible, Fitz."

My mind raced, trying to think of any other possible reason for her illness. It was stuck on that one word though. Pregnant. I ran a hand through my hair. "Is your period late?" It wasn't much to hold on to, but it was something to help destroy this train of thought.

Olivia seemed to be mentally going over her female timeline. "Today is the twentieth?" She asked.

"Yes." I said in a voice full of hope.

"It's due any day now." Her beautiful brown eyes went wide, and she looked genuinely fearful. "What if I am..." She ran back into the bathroom stall and vomited again.

I grabbed some paper towels, went in the stall, squatted down behind her, and rubbed her back. When her body stopped heaving she flushed the toilet and I handed her the paper towels. She was crying as she wiped her mouth and it broke my heart. As much as I didn't think I was ready to be a father, I knew I would deal with it, with Olivia, if we were going to be parents nine months from now.

I held her tight in my arms and spoke soothing words to her as she cried on my shoulder. "If we are going to have a baby, it'll be okay, Liv. I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

She nodded mutely and then scrambled to stand up. "Shit! We're in the ladies' room babbling and our bosses are out there waiting for us."

"Fuck them! They can wait." Who cared about Cyrus and Stephen right now?

"We arranged this meeting, Fitz! We have to get ourselves together and go out there and tell them that we are dating. Jesus. Cyrus is going to have a field day. I wonder what he must think of me right now?" She walked briskly back to the sink and groaned at her own image. I watched her do her best to correct the smudged make up under her eyes and pinch her cheeks.

"What the hell are you doing that for?" I asked completely confused.

"It'll put color in my cheeks. I can't go out there looking like this. I have to be in kick ass mode to deal with both of them." She rinsed out her mouth and gave herself one last look in the mirror. "It'll have to do. Follow my lead on the explanation." She said as she walked to the door.

I followed quickly behind her. "What the hell are you going to tell them?"

"Hopefully, the truth." She opened the door and walked out, leaving me with my mouth hanging open and in shock. I buttoned my suit jacket and once again, I followed her.

Cyrus and Stephen were doing their best to ignore each other when we arrived back at the table. Stephen stood up when Olivia went to take her seat. I wanted to punch him. "Are you alright, Olivia?" He asked her.

She smiled at him and said, "I'm so sorry about that. I've been fighting a little bug lately." I breathed a little easier. For a moment, I thought she planned to tell them that she thought she was pregnant.

"You sure have had your share of mishaps while on this little adventure, Liv." Cyrus commented in his sing song voice.

"Tell me about it. I guess the road doesn't like me near as much as I like it." She chuckled.

The waitress appeared and took our order for brunch. Olivia looked queasy at the mention of any food and closed her eyes waiting for her turn to order. She opened them and smiled up at the waitress as I watched her closely. "I'll have some toast, no butter and a fruit bowl please." The waitress nodded and disappeared.

Cyrus glanced at his watch. "What exactly is the point of this meeting? I'm assuming there is one?"

My mind recalled our plan and I let Olivia lead the conversation.

"We didn't fly to Tulsa for the scenery." Cyrus added.

Stephen chuckled. When did he become such an asshole, I wondered?

"The reason we asked both of you to be here is that Mr. Grant and I have some important information we need to get out into the open." She paused to take a sip of her water. I couldn't stand to see her struggling and held her hand on top of the table.

Stephen focused on our hands with laser precision.

Cyrus seemed amused for some reason.

"Fitz and I are in a relationship together." She said.

Cyrus slammed his hand on the table and jovially exclaimed, "I fucking knew it!"

"Pardon?" Stephen sputtered out.

If I was going to be in a committed relationship with Olivia, I wasn't going to let her take all the heat from our bosses for this conversation. "Olivia and I are dating. We have been for a few weeks."

"A few weeks?! Stephen spat out. I watched his face and knew he was trying to remember when it was that he had asked her out and how that lined up with our announcement. Realization hit him like a ton of bricks and he clenched his jaw angrily. "Why did you wait so long to tell us about this..." He gestured with his index finger between Olivia and I. "THING?"

"Because it was none of your business." I stated frankly.

"And now you consider it our business?" He asked quietly with narrow eyes.

The waitress arrived with our food and left our tense table very quickly.

"You have a hell of a way of making an announcement, Liv." Cyrus started. "Spending god knows how much money to fly Mr. Finch and I all the way to work Switzerland – I know that's what you were trying to accomplish – to come out of the dating closet with your co-worker. It's adorable and I'm happy for you and Mr. Grant so enjoy it as long as you can because it won't last. It can't. One of you will end up with the promotion. And I'm sure you've both done your homework and looked at the policy for dating within the company and that you are aware that a supervisor cannot date a subordinate."

Cyrus was ruthless. I had heard Olivia talk about him, but witnessing it was another thing altogether! He really had a hard on for breaking us up and making it known that that's where he stood. At least I expected that type of reaction from him. My eyes flicked to Stephen and as Cyrus' words sunk in, I watched a smirk cross his face. Fucking asshole! He probably thought Cyrus's little announcement meant he actually had a chance with Liv once one of us was promoted.

Olivia's reaction was the one that mattered most to me. She must have expected his reaction as well because she was cool, calm, and collected. Still a little flushed from earlier, but she appeared unruffled at his words. "We've read the policy, Cyrus. We're aware of it and the fact that we will have to make some changes once one of us is awarded the promotion. We wanted both of you to know that neither one of us will go against that, or any company policy for any reason."

"Well, we'll all sleep better tonight knowing it." Cyrus remarked.

Olivia rolled her eyes at him and sipped her water. She pushed her chair back and I thought she was about to run for the bathroom once again, but she made no attempt to get up. I wondered if the stress of this situation and the conversation would be bad for the possible baby? It couldn't be good, and I wondered if there was a way to wrap this thing up so that possible damage to our possible baby wouldn't be done.

"Do the two of you have any questions for us?" I ventured.

Cyrus opened his mouth, but Stephen cut him off with his own question. "Were the two of you dating when I invited you to dinner a few weeks ago?"

I knew Stephen had balls, but this surprised even me. I half expected Olivia to tell him to go fuck himself. She chose the high road and answered his question. I tried really hard not to be smug as she explained.

"We were." She looked at me and I smiled at her, but remained silent, giving her the space to say whatever she felt she needed to tell him.

"Why did you accept my invitation then?" He asked.

"Frankly, I did it to throw off suspicion anyone had about the two of us. I enjoy your company, and, in my mind, we would have been two friends having dinner together. But then I got the call about my brother being in an accident, and I had to leave town quickly. I'm very sorry about that, Stephen. I never meant to hurt your feelings in any way, but I am in love with Fitz."

I held her hand and felt enormously proud of her. We were completely off script now and I had no idea where we should have been in our timeline and plan. They had gone to shit anyways after Cyrus' infantile rant. "I'm sorry too, Stephen. We didn't know this would happen. It just...did."

"No worries, mate. We are mostly all adults at this table." He flicked his eyes over at Cyrus very briefly. "The two of you are going to have to get in touch with HR about this as soon as possible."

"We already have." I replied.

"Good man. We are also going to have something in writing when the promotion comes round saying that the two of you are no longer dating though. I'm sorry, but that's the way it has to be."

Now that the initial shock was over, Stephen seemed to be taking this like the man I knew he was. Maybe he wasn't such an asshole? Maybe he was battling with his own disappointments with the situation while trying to maintain his dignity as a man and my boss? "We understand. And while we can't offer you the plan for when the promotion takes place, it's not because we don't want to. It's because we don't currently have one. But like Liv said, we are not going to do anything to go against company policy. We will come up with one."

"And where will we meet for that exciting news?" Cyrus chirped.

I shot him a glare. "I understand that you are Olivia's boss, and on some alternate universe, technically mine as well, but we aren't on company time right now, so hear me when I say that you are acting like a fucking demon right now."

He waved his hand in the air absentmindedly. "Ahhh, I've been called worse, kid." He turned his head to Olivia and smiled. "Remember when I told you on the phone yesterday that I had some news for you as well?"

Olivia nodded. She was sitting back in her chair and turned her head toward the bathroom. I knew she was about to exit the table and kept my eye on her.

"It seems the powers that be are working in your favor a little longer without realizing it."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Your exciting adventure in California is ending in two days. I was told that corporate wants you to come back to New York as soon as you are done here."

There is was. The punch to the gut that I knew was coming but didn't want to face just yet. So, Olivia was leaving California to go back to New York in two short days. And of course, Cyrus was acting like it was the best news in the world to deliver. I released Olivia's hand and decided to wallow in my despair.

"I figured as much." Olivia said.

"They want you to go to all of your stores and the ones in the neighboring area and tell them of the merger. Basically, do what you've been doing in the sunshine state." He explained.

"I can handle that. I'm well versed in what to do, how to deliver the news, and answer questions. Thanks to the trip out west."

"There's a catch, Liv." He said with a frown.

"What now?" Olivia demanded. His words had my attention now too.

"Corporate wants both of you to take care of it."

"What?" We both said at the same time.

"They caught your interview with the media and have been hearing nothing but great things about how smoothly the two of you work together. They all but demanded that both of you handle the east coast together as well. I tried to stop it, but they wouldn't listen to me." He took a drink of his coffee. "They'll change their minds when it's over though and they find out all about the two of you and your romance."

"Did you know about this, Stephen?" I asked.

"Just found out about it yesterday. I had no chance to change their minds either. They want you on a plane headed for New York the day after tomorrow."

I looked over at Olivia with eyes wide with shock. We were going to be together for another few months! It seemed like such a juvenile reason to be happy, but it was the best news I had heard in a while. Olivia looked at me. Her eyes went wide too, and that was the moment she did get up and run into the bathroom.

"Is she okay, mate? Maybe you should get her back so she can rest for a few days?" Stephen suggested.

"Is sheeeee...pregnant?" Cyrus asked no one in particular.

Both heads whipped in my direction. No one could accuse Cyrus of being stupid. "It's just a bug." I replied nervously. "She would speak up if she needed to go home and wasn't up for the task of the next two days. I'm sure it will pass." I didn't believe it as the words left my mouth though. "I'm going to go check on her."

"Keep me posted kid." Cyrus replied as he stood up. Stephen followed suit.

"You're leaving?" I asked both of them.

"We've got flights to catch out of Switzerland. And if we're going to be on time, we've got to leave now."

"Let us know how Olivia is please. Take care of her." Stephen said to me.

"I will. Thank you both for coming." I left the table and went back into the ladies' room, not caring if anyone didn't like it or was in there other than her. She was wiping her mouth in front of the mirror and looked truly awful. "Are you okay?"

"Not really. I think I might need to go see a doctor. My stomach hurts and there is nothing left for me to throw up. I feel like shit all over. But let's go finish the meeting and then we can decide what we're going to do afterwards." She walked towards the door.

"They're gone, Liv." I said. "They had to leave to catch their flights home. I think we need to pay the bill and find the nearest emergency room to get you looked at. I'll feel better when we know what we're dealing with."

"I'm so glad they left. That was a nightmare. Except for us going back to New York together to carry on the road trip. I can show you around my side of the world." She gave me a small smile.

"That sounds great. Let me show you Tulsa's finest ER right now though." I replied. "I'm going to go pay the bill first and then we can go."

"I'm scared, Fitz. What if I am pregnant?" She asked in a whisper.

"We'll deal with it together." I said, trying to assure her.

"Promise?" Fear was etched onto her face.

I could relate, but I couldn't show it to her. I had to be strong right now. I held her in my arms for a moment and said, "I promise."

"Make sure you leave a good tip." Olivia said as I walked out the door.


	20. Eggs Over Easy

_If any of this information is wrong, please blame Google. I spent countless hours on it for this chapter..._

Eggs Over Easy

 **Fitz's POV**

St. John's Medical Center was a short ten minute ride from The Boiler Room. The cab driver pulled up in front of the emergency room and I paid him and got out. Olivia was doubled over, and I didn't want to wait any longer to get her seen, so I picked her up and carried her inside.

When we got to the nurse's desk, the woman behind it gave us the once over and asked, "Does she need a wheelchair?"

She stood up to get one, but I shook my head no. "She weighs ninety pounds soaking wet." I joked. I was happy holding onto her myself.

"How can I help you?" She asked.

"Her name is Olivia Pope. We're not from here. She has been throwing up off and on for the past hour or so. Now her stomach hurts terribly. Can someone please take a look at her?"

She pushed a clipboard towards me and said, "We'll need some basic information about her. Are you sure I can't get her a wheelchair? It's going to be awfully difficult filling out those papers with her in your arms, Sir."

I smiled at her and took the clipboard. "We'll manage. Thank you."

"Okay. It's a pretty light morning so it shouldn't be much of a wait. We'll get to her as quick as we can." She assured me.

I took a seat in the waiting area and began filling out the needed information as Olivia clung to my neck and rested her head on my shoulder. Every so often she would inhale sharply and clutch her stomach. Every time this happened I would stop writing and comfort her as best I could. I felt completely helpless and hated to see her in pain.

It had only been twenty minutes when a nurse called out Olivia's name. "Hold onto the clip board please, Liv. We're about to find out what the hell is going on with you."

I carried her into a small room and held her in my arms as we sat down in yet another chair and waited for the doctor to come in. Olivia muttered out answers to questions that I didn't know. Like what was her social security number? What was her address? Had she ever had surgeries before? If so, what kind and when? It was a crash course into the medical history of Olivia Pope.

Finally, there was a brisk knock on the door before a woman in a white lab coat entered the room. She smiled at us and said, "Hello. I'm Doctor Owens." I passed her the mostly filled out paperwork and she looked at it. "What seems to be the trouble with Olivia today?"

I cleared my throat. "A little more than an hour ago, she started vomiting. It happened a few times. She started complaining of stomach cramps on our way over here. That's about it."

Doctor Owens looked at Olivia and asked, "Is there any possibility you could be pregnant?"

Olivia sighed heavily. In a hoarse voice and still on my lap she said, "I'm afraid there is a very real possibility."

"I take it you don't know for sure though? Let's start with a pregnancy test and go from there." The physician stated.

Olivia nodded.

The doctor looked up at the nurse and said, "Would you get me a cup to collect Miss Pope's urine sample?" The nurse nodded and left the room. "When she comes back, I'll show you where the restroom is located, and you will pee into a cup. When you're done, you'll screw the lid on and slide it into a cabinet on the wall where a nurse will take it and complete the test. I'll come back in and we'll go over the results."

The nurse came into the room with the clear cup and red lid. There was a printed label that ran along the side of it with Olivia's name and other information already on it. "I'll show you where to go." The nurse instructed her and opened the door.

I kissed Olivia on the temple and said, "I'll be right here when you get back." She nodded, crawled off my lap, and slowly followed the nurse out into the hall.

A few minutes later, Olivia came back into the room and resumed her spot on my lap. My arms went around her, holding her close. "You okay?" I asked.

She nodded and said, "What if I really am pregnant, Fitz? What are we going to do?"

"Have a baby?" I asked with a smile.

She curled into me. "It's not funny." She whispered. "We can't have a baby. Not now."

"Why can't we? We're adults who have good jobs and are in a committed relationship with each other. Who says we can't have a baby? Besides, it might be out of our hands anyways." It probably wasn't the words she wanted to hear, but they needed to be said and they were all true. I wasn't completely settled on the idea any more than she was. But that was mostly due to the fact that it was a surprise and not something we had planned. Still, it was what it was.

Apparently, Olivia wanted to discuss it some more. She picked her head up from my shoulder and looked me in the eye. "But we are both working towards the job promotion. Let's imagine that I am awarded it. How am I going to be able to take care of a baby while working full time in a new position? There's no way humanly possible to do that."

I felt her body tense and held onto her until it eased up. "Liv? There are millions of working mothers all around the globe who do what you just described every single day. You're a strong woman, stronger than you realize, and you can do anything you set your mind to." I touched my forehead to hers and rested it there. "Besides, as the father of this possible baby, I'm going to be actively involved in his or her life too. You wouldn't be doing it alone."

"Really? You're not just saying that?"

My heart was a little wounded that she would think such a thing of me. She seemed to be filled with doubt that I meant what I said. "No, I'm not just saying that. I love you, Olivia. And if we are going to have a baby I will love him or her too. And I will help every single day however I can."

"But where would we live? I'm on the east coast and you're on the west. One of us would have to uproot our lives."

She hadn't had a lot of time to process the possibility of a baby, but she had used what time she had been given to come up with a million questions. I had quite a few of my own, but it seemed counterproductive to add to her worry right now. We didn't even know if there was a baby. "I'd move to New York."

She studied my face for a moment as her mouth hung open. "But your whole life is in California. Your parents, your job, your house, your dog. You're not the least bit freaked out that there's a chance that we are going to have a baby?"

"Hell yes I'm freaked out! I've never been in this situation before. But if we're going to have a baby, you and him or her will be my whole life. I haven't even told my mother about you yet. How's that going to go? Mom, remember Olivia? I love her. Oh, and by the way, you're going to be a grandmother." She giggled at that and I felt a little of the tension ease off. "I don't think I ever told you, but my mother was convinced I was gay for the longest time."

Olivia laughed loudly and covered her mouth with her hand. "She was not! Oh my god!"

"Oh, but she was. Think about it. Single man in his forties with no wife or girlfriend, living alone with his dog in that big ass house by the ocean." I chuckled at the thought of it too. Maybe mom had a point?

"Maybe we should go and visit her after we wrap up with the last store here? I don't want your mom to think you are gay when I am right here to tell her that you aren't. I mean, really aren't." She grinned. "By then we might have bigger news to tell her anyways?"

"I couldn't leave California for a few months without going to see her and dad and Roscoe first. And, like you said, we might have a bigger reason to go visit than to just tell her I finally have a girlfriend. She's probably going to have a million questions. She might cry a little bit too." I warned her.

"That is insanely cute, and I can't wait to see it." Her body tensed up again and she jumped off my lap, running for the trashcan in the small room. I watched helplessly as her body tried to find something in her stomach to rid itself of, but there was nothing in there.

I grabbed paper towels from over the sink, got them wet, and handed them to her. "I'm so sorry that you aren't feeling well. Let's pretend you are pregnant. How long does morning sickness last?"

She wiped her mouth and glared at me. "How the hell am I supposed to know?"

Maybe that wasn't my smartest question in that moment. "Sorry. I just assumed you would know because you're a..."

"Woman? No! I don't know, Fitz! I've never been pregnant before. Or possibly pregnant! If this shit happens for nine months, NO THANK YOU! I am not down for puking my guts out every day for almost an entire year! Fuck that!"

She went to the sink and began rinsing her mouth out. Was she serious? She wouldn't carry a baby for nine months because of that? I knew it wasn't happening to my body, but her reasoning seemed kind of selfish to me. I wondered where she stood on the topic of abortion? We had never really discussed it. I was realizing that we hadn't really discussed a lot of things, but this was a heavy topic. I wondered if now was a good time to bring it up? Probably not.

"I'm sorry." She said, turning to face me. "That outburst was unnecessary. The not knowing is driving me crazy. How long does it take to get results on a pregnancy test?"

I wasn't about to tell her that I didn't know. "Maybe more people came into the emergency room and the doctor is seeing other patients? Maybe someone came in with a steel rod sticking through their body? Or something equally horrific?" I felt like an idiot as soon as the words left my mouth. She probably didn't want to hear gross things right now? I needed to shut the hell up until the doctor came back with the results.

Olivia burst out laughing with her hand on her flat belly. "You are crazy. You know that, right?"

My eyes went to her hand and my mind skipped ahead several months to seeing Olivia's hand on her much larger belly, swollen with our child. Her hair was a little longer and she was singing to her stomach as she rubbed gentle little circles on it. She was standing in the middle of a decorated nursery and I could see the ocean through the window behind her. She looked absolutely beautiful in my mind, and I realized that I wanted to see that bigger belly on her. If not this year, then someday in the not too distant future.

I wondered where that thought had come from but tried to hold onto the vision of pregnant Olivia. We could be great parents and we could figure out how to work and raise a kid to be a decent individual. People do it all the time. I suddenly felt...kind of peaceful about having a baby with Olivia all of a sudden. Excited even.

"Hello?" Olivia was snapping her fingers in my face.

I blinked rapidly and shook myself from the happy thought. "I'm sorry. What?"

"You had this weird smile on your face and you looked like you were daydreaming. Want to tell me about it?" She asked.

I wondered if I could share it with her without her losing her mind? After going back and forth with the idea in my head, I decided honesty was the best policy. I sat down, carefully put my hands on her slim belly, and pulled her back on top of my lap. "I know you aren't exactly happy about the thought of this possible pregnancy. And I know you are the one who would have to deal with all of the changes to your body. I'm sure it's very hard work to grow a human being inside of your body and then actually push it out. But, if I'm completely honest..."

She put her hands on my cheeks. "I want that from you. Honesty. Always. Tell me what you're thinking."

"I don't know...the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of having a baby with you. I know it would be challenging and difficult at times, but the thought of you and I creating a person from our love for each other...it couldn't be a bad thing, right?" I looked into her brown eyes and wondered what she was thinking? Probably that I was a moron, and out of my mind, and hell no to all of that!

She stared into my eyes for a long time. "You really feel that way?"

"I really do. It wouldn't be easy, but nothing worthwhile in life is. You're it for me, and I know that that sounds ridiculous when I think that I didn't even know you a few months ago. I can't explain it, Liv. I just...know. And even if you aren't pregnant now, I'll be okay with that. It'll hurt some, now that I'm getting used to the idea and thinking about it more than I should. But I'm kind of glad this happened because I realized that there are a lot of things that we have never talked about."

She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. "What kind of things?"

"Big things like if you've ever had any surgeries, and small things, like your address. And...other things too."

"Let's hear these other things that are on your mind?" She patiently asked.

"Do you want to have kids one day? Or is work enough for you? I'm not going to judge your answer either way. I'm curious as to what your thoughts are on the subject. That's all." I unknowingly held my breath and waited for her answer.

"I...I don't know if I want kids. I mean, I love kids. It was part of the draw to this job. Sophie is one of my favorite people in the world and she's two. But to have children of my own? I honestly haven't really thought about it. I've always been content with my family and my job. But now that I have you in my life, my focus has changed some. It wouldn't be terrible if I was pregnant right now, I guess. I would have preferred to have been able to plan it on our own timeline, so most of my reactions and anger to this come from that being taken away from me. It's a shock. I've never been in this position before, so it's all new to me."

I smiled at her. She might not have said she was ready right now, but she hadn't said that she wasn't either. It was a small step and that was enough for me. And it would give us something to talk about together. "Whatever the outcome is, just remember that I love you and I always will. I was content with it being just you and me before this happened and I'll be content if it turns out you're not pregnant. I don't want you to think that I'll be disappointed in you if it comes back negative."

"We would make a cute kid together though. I mean, a REALLY cute kid." She said with a grin.

"Damn near perfection." I agreed with a grin of my own.

"I could see a little girl with bouncing curls running around...wherever we lived. She would probably grow up to become President." She chuckled.

"I was thinking more along the lines of a boy with my baby blues and your attitude. That would be a deadly combination for the world to deal with." I could practically picture him. I could picture a little girl too if I tried hard enough. And I took a minute to do just that.

She laid her head on my shoulder, clutched her stomach again, and groaned loudly. I rubbed her back as she struggled with the pain. Olivia was breathing heavily until it passed a few minutes later. "I hate those intense cramps. It can't be a good thing if I am pregnant. I wish somebody would come in here and tell us what the hell is going on already."

"I'm sorry. You have had an absolutely shitty day starting with our meeting with Stephen and Cyrus, throwing up repeatedly, stomach cramps, processing a pregnancy scare and all that that entails, discussing deep topics with me, and now a trip to the emergency room." I looked at my watch. "Ummm, not to add to the pile, but what time is our return flight to California?"

She looked in her bag and brought out the tickets. "Seven o'clock."

"Liv? Why was our return flight so late if you booked Cyrus and Stephen's flights around one thirty? What were we going to do here for six hours?" I wondered what the little woman had up her sleeve.

She sighed heavily. "If you must know, I made a reservation for The Mayo Hotel for us to enjoy the afternoon there. It seemed like a good idea at the time and would have made for a nice surprise for you. Turns out you are much better at surprises."

"You sneaky little thing." I chuckled. "You were going to seduce me at The Mayo Hotel weren't you?"

"You can't seduce the willing." She chuckled back. "But yea, something like that. I even brought lingerie."

Fitz stood up abruptly, setting Olivia on her feet, and went to the door of the room they were sitting in. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Speeding this thing up. I'm getting laid in Tulsa before we get on that plane."

Before I could open the door though, a knock sounded on it and Doctor Owens entered. "I have your test results, Olivia."

 **Olivia's POV**

This was it. The moment of truth. I didn't know if I was ready to hear it though? It was a little bit more difficult to know what was the good, bad or ugly now. The lines had blurred a little since my conversation with Fitz in this small room. I didn't know what to hope for, so I didn't say anything and just stood there.

The doctor gestured to the exam table. "Please, sit down."

I sat. Fitz stood beside me and held my hand as we both looked at her expectantly.

"You are definitely not pregnant." She watched us to see how we would react to that news.

Fitz spoke up. "Something is wrong with her. As long as I have known her I've never seen her vomit or had a sick day for that matter. What is causing this?"

"I agree, something isn't right. Tell me more about your symptoms. You've been vomiting, and stomach cramps. Is there anything else going on that I should know about?" She asked patiently.

"No, nothing. It comes and goes. The cramps are really intense though." I explained.

The doctor wrote all of this down in Olivia's thin file. "Have you eaten anything that's tasted off recently? Or different somehow?"

I shrugged. "No. Nothing."

"Liv, that's not true. You made a comment about the eggs this morning at the restaurant. Remember?"

I made a face. "That's right! I told you there was something weird about them! Good thing you didn't try any when I suggested it."

The doctor nodded. "Here's what I think. I think you might be dealing with salmonella. Food poisoning. And eggs are one of the foods that can cause it."

My eyebrows shot up. "Food poisoning?"

"I'm afraid so. Your symptoms are textbook food poisoning reactions too. Although, you could also have had diarrhea, headache, chills, fever, and bloody stools as a result. You only got two of the seven. You're lucky in a way."

"This doesn't feel like luck." I grumbled. "How can I find out for sure that that's what it is?"

She closed my file and said, "I can do a test with a stool sample to make sure, but chances are you will be feeling more like yourself before the test results come back."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"People who are affected by salmonella typically recover on their own within a few days. It takes the test results much longer to come back. My suggestion to you is to get plenty of rest and drink a lot of fluids, especially water. Even if you don't want to drink something it will help you to start feeling better. You can also eat popsicles. They are a good way to get water and sugar into your system. You run the risk of dehydration when you are vomiting, and that risk is significantly higher if you begin to experience diarrhea." She explained.

"The idea of food is not very high on my list right now, but when can I eat something and what should I eat?"

"You need to eat bland foods for a while. Things like bananas, rice, applesauce, rice, potatoes, and crackers are a good place to start. Nothing with a lot of seasoning. You need to avoid eating spicy foods altogether for a few weeks. They will only aggravate your already sensitive system."

"That makes sense. Thank you so much. I feel better knowing what's going on with me now. There were too many questions about what it could be, so I'm glad to have an answer." Still, I was a little shocked to know I had food poisoning.

She smiled at me. "No problem. Did you want to take the test?"

"Honestly, I don't think there is anything in my system to test right now. And your assessment makes a lot of sense now that I think about it. I don't think I'll be ordering eggs at a restaurant any time soon. I'll be too fearful of this happening again. Thank you."

I shook her hand and she said, "There's one more thing you should know before you leave."

"What's that?" I asked, not liking her tone.

She flicked her gaze from me to Fitz and back to me. "Salmonella is very contagious. Even if the person who is infected isn't showing symptoms, salmonella can be spread by someone who has contracted it. Sharing items such as utensils, straws, cups, water bottles; pretty much anything your mouth touches is a way to spread it. Also, sharing saliva or mouth to mouth contact with someone who is carrying the bacteria is another great way to spread it."

"I can't kiss her?" Fitz asked with wide eyes.

"Not if you want to remain healthy." The doctor advised.

I was just as unhappy with this news as Fitz was. "For how long?" I asked.

"The symptoms of salmonella usually last for four to seven days, but a person can still transmit the bacteria for several weeks or months after the symptoms are gone." She explained patiently.

He stood up abruptly "Did you say months?" Fitz asked loudly.

"I did. There are ways to prevent spreading the bacteria. Don't share anything with someone who has salmonella - especially anything that's touched your mouth. Wash your hands immediately after handling animals, clean any surface that's come into contact with raw meat, wash your hands before and after touching raw meat, refrigerate foods immediately, and get rid of any food that you suspect may be contaminated." She handed me a brochure that contained all the information she had just told us and much more. "Look, a lot of it is common sense to most people. You do have to be careful though. It's a serious thing to be infected with. But in most cases of food poisoning, the symptoms start to decrease, and the majority of people start feeling better on their own within a week. And since you are only experiencing a few symptoms, you will most likely be feeling more like yourself a week from now too."

I breathed a little easier knowing that I had a light case of food poisoning. I was still shocked that I had it to begin with but knowing my recovery time could have been months instead of a week made me thankful. "I appreciate your help and all of the information you've given us. I will definitely be much more careful about the foods I order when I'm away from home. Thank you again." I got up and shook her hand.

The nurse handed me a white sheet to use at the check-out window and Fitz explained that the trash had to be taken out because I had vomited in it. I was embarrassed and apologized profusely but she told me not to worry about it, put on some gloves, and took the bag out.

"What a morning!" I exclaimed as we walked outside into the bright sunlit day. My stomach was still cramping, but when I recalled all of the other symptoms I could have experienced, I didn't voice a single complaint. "I can't believe those eggs gave me food poisoning."

Fitz held my hand. "Food poisoning is a lot cheaper than a baby."

I stopped walking and turned to him. "I'm kind of sorry that I'm not pregnant. I know you were starting to get your hopes up at the idea of it, and for that reason I'm sorry. I know you're probably a little disappointed, but right now, I think it's for the best. There's too much going on at work right now for me to even think about having a baby."

Fitz brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. "You don't owe me an apology. I'm just glad to know what is wrong with you and to know it's nothing serious. Now we can plan for a baby on our own timeline, whenever that may be, instead of it being thrust upon us. It gives us time to get prepared for a child when we decide to have one."

He was being awfully sweet about the whole thing, even though I knew he felt a little differently about the situation. A small part of me was kind of sad too. Hearing how he felt about the possibility of having a baby had made me a teensy bit anxious about it as well. Not to the point of being ready to be pregnant, but it gave me something to think seriously about.

Fitz saying there were things that we didn't know about each other had me thinking. The truth was there were a lot of things that we hadn't talked about before. Things like previous surgeries and social security numbers were not exactly the sort of information that come up in casual conversation when a new relationship begins, and while Fitz and I were still in the getting to know you phase of things, this pregnancy scare as well as his declaration of me being the one for him gave me reason enough to pause and realize that we did, in fact, need to have more serious conversations.

"I'm sorry that you had to find out about my medical history this way." I quietly said from the back seat of yet another taxi. "I know that was awkward and a lot of information to get all at one time. We should have talked about some of it before now."

He looked over at me and made a face. "Now that I know that you don't have your tonsils anymore, I'm planning to dump you on your ass and find a girl who still has all of her original parts."

"Watch it. I'm still feeling queasy and I could" I put up my fingers for air quotes, "accidentally throw up on your shoes."

"No throwing up in here lady!" The driver instructed as he looked at her from the rearview mirror.

Fitz pointed at the driver and gave me a sympathetic look. "You heard the man. That option is out now."

"You have the upper hand on me as far as medical background. I think it's only right that I gain a little insight on yours?" I knew he wouldn't have a problem sharing anything from his medical past with me. Hoped he wouldn't.

He smiled at me. "What do you want to know?"

"Do you still have your tonsils?" I asked.

"I'm not really comfortable sharing that information with you at this point in time." He said and turned to look out the window.

"OH MY GOD! You don't, do you?" I laughed. When he continued to ignore me I shrugged and said, "I might dump you before you get around to doing it to me. Original parts, my ass." I muttered. From the corner of my eye I saw Fitz whip his head back around to my direction, but I ignored him as he had done me.

"I was seven, Liv! It's not really something I had a lot of control over!" He said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

Finally, I turned to look at him. "For your information, I was five."

He pulled me close to his side and put his arm around me. "I'll bet you were cute when you were five?"

"I'm cute now, aren't I?" I was pushing it, but that was okay. He was smiling at me, and after the day we had already experienced, it felt good to smile and to see him smile.

"No." That was it. That was all he said. He offered no explanation.

I slid over in my seat, putting space between us as I stared at him. "Would you care to elaborate?"

"Well, almost every kid is cute. So, I'm sure you were cute when you were five. Adorable even. But you're not five anymore. You've grown up into a woman, and you are not cute."

I was having a hard time understanding his logic. "I'm not?"

"Not at all." He smiled at me, bending his index finger and running it down my cheek. "To call you cute would be doing you a disservice. You are absolutely stunning. Why would you ever settle for cute?"

I was mesmerized at his words. He made me feel stunning. Like a priceless treasure. "I...I don't know" I muttered out, as I gazed deeply into his brilliant blue eyes that were currently holding me captive. Somehow Fitzgerald Grant had just made the word cute sound like the worst compliment in the world. He patted the space of the seat that I had just vacated, and I wasted no time moving back and nestled into his side. "I know that I made the reservations for the hotel, but I'm really not in the mood for sex, Fitz."

"Shhhhh. I know that. I was just giving you a hard time back there. Tomorrow is an early morning and I think it would be best if we changed our flight to an earlier one back to California. That way, I can get you into bed..."

I looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

"Without sex. Pervert." He added with a grin. "And you can rest tonight. This thing isn't going to just disappear overnight, so you might want to consider spending tomorrow in your hotel room."

"But I really wanted to..." I began. He cut me off immediately with his words of wisdom and horror.

"Liv? Think about it. You're at a store tomorrow and you start throwing up in the middle of addressing the large group. Or while you're walking the floor and talking to employees. Or what if..."

"I get it. Damn it. I was really looking forward to enjoying the last few stops out here with you and your people. You know what's going to happen, right?" I warned. "I'm going to go stir crazy in that hotel room. The walls are going to close in around me and I am going to lose my mind. Food poisoning will be the least of my worries and..." I had to stop my fake rant to clutch my stomach as another cramp twisted my insides in knots.

Fitz simply held onto me and waited it out in silence. When it had passed, Fitz quietly said, "Now imagine that happening while you're at work. You'd have to explain to everyone what's going on. Do you really want that when you could just as easily spend your morning lying in bed and drinking lots of water?"

"Okay, you win. I know you're right, but I don't have to like it. I'm starting to think that California is not the place for me to be anyways. I think it's cursed."

"What the hell are you talking about?" He asked. "Why would you say my home state is cursed?"

"Ever since I started working, I've only ever taken four sick days. I just don't get sick. It doesn't happen. Since I've been here I have twisted my ankle, gotten food poisoning, and I had to fly back home for a family emergency. It adds up."

"You can't blame California on your brother's accident, Liv. That happened in New York. You were just upset because you had to fly back quickly because of an emergency. The twisted ankle was all my fault for not paying attention to where I was going. The current issue didn't even happen in California. The food was eaten in California, but the after effects happened in Oklahoma, so your whole logic about my state being cursed is pretty much shot to hell don't you think?" He wore a superior smirk and raised eyebrows, knowing his words made complete sense.

I pulled out my cell phone and looked up the number to the airline to call and make arrangements to change our flight and went back to ignoring Fitz. He must have seen me on my phone and decided it was a good time for him to do whatever he needed to do on his. We spent about fifteen minutes on our devices and when I had gotten a confirmation on our flight information, I ended the call and looked at my watch. "We're booked on the next flight to Los Angeles. It leaves in an hour."

Fitz turned to look at the back of the driver's head and said, "to the airport please." The driver nodded and kept driving. He turned to me and said, "back to the uncursed sunshine state it is."

I nodded at him and then looked out the window as the scenery of Tulsa flew by. There were a lot of changes coming our way in the weeks to come. Finishing up the job here, going back home to repeat the process there, and then waiting to see which one of us would be chosen for the promotion we both wanted and had worked so diligently for. Dealing with the now was easier than looking ahead and thinking about all of the countless what ifs.

I loved Fitz with my whole heart, but I wasn't about to throw the promotion out the window because of it and I wouldn't want him to do that either. It appeared we both had a few months to come up with a plan for when the announcement came down. There were only a few options that I could think of when it did happen, and neither one was acceptable. It made me worry about our conversation earlier where Fitz voiced that he wanted a baby someday. I didn't see how that would ever happen under the circumstances my mind had produced as possible outcomes.

I pushed those things from my mind for the time being and slid back beside Fitz and held him tightly. I would hold onto him for as long as I could and enjoy every single day with him. Somehow it would work out, I told myself. It had to, because he meant everything to me and I wanted a future with him. A bright one.


	21. Out in the Open

I try not to leave author notes on this story, but I wanted to try something different. I'm using her POV to describe being around his family & his POV to describe being around hers. Thank you for reading this story. Your support encourages me & means more than you know!

Out in the Open

 **Olivia's POV**

Fitz and I were sitting side by side on yet another airplane. He was holding my hand but each of us were lost in our own thoughts. I was looking out the window watching the white puffy clouds effortlessly float by as we made our descent. I was sure we had racked up endless frequent flier miles and I planned on cashing them in on a vacation one day. Somewhere tropical. Maybe after I retired?

Instead of skipping around to stores on the west coast in Fitz's district, we were headed to my home state. It was still work related, but it felt good knowing we'd be on my turf for a while now. Although I would miss the warmer weather of California, I had also missed being near my family – as crazy as they all were, and I couldn't wait to see them all and hold them close.

California had been warm sunny days and ocean air with a laid back vibe. It had been kind smiles and holding doors open for strangers and patience. It had been meeting new people and making connections, both personal and professional. I had learned a lot from my time in the sunshine state and I would think of it often.

New York was smog and tall buildings and yellow cabs as far as the eye could see with a get the hell out of my way kind of vibe. It was wall to wall people going in a thousand different directions. It was something new going on and something wild to see on almost every street in the city, and no matter how strange it might be to witness, everyone treated it as if it was normal. It was home and I had missed it terribly.

I couldn't wait to be in my apartment and be around my own things again. Sleeping in a different plush hotel bed every night was nice, but nothing compared to sleeping in your own bed in your own familiar surroundings. I was even looking forward to the leaky bathroom faucet, as pathetic as that was. It wouldn't be for long though, because Fitz and I would be headed back out on the road together in two days. Two days at home was going to be heaven!

I needed to see my brothers, my sister in law, and my little Sophie. It felt like it had been months instead of weeks since I had seen them all last and I couldn't wait to get my arms around each one of them and tell them face to face that I love them. Family had always been important, and I had been missing mine.

The pregnancy scare Fitz and I had just gone through made me desperate for family even more somehow. I decided to call my brothers once we landed and devise a plan for a get together at my place tonight. Harrison and Leesa had already met Fitz, as my co-worker, but my other two brothers needed to be introduced to him. And all of them needed to be told that he was more than my co-worker now.

I was a little nervous to tell them about our relationship. It was still fairly new and harsh words from three loud and over protective brothers could make Fitz feel like he wasn't welcome. I didn't want that to happen and thought we should probably talk about that before he met them as my...boyfriend? That sounded so juvenile to my own ears and there was nothing boyish about him. They would give me hell and laugh if I said the word boyfriend. I'd need to think about a different title for him before tonight.

Thinking of family brought Fitz's to my mind and I couldn't help but smile as I recalled our visit to see his parents just last night. It had gone pretty much exactly the way he assured me it would, and I was thankful. Fitz had introduced me to his parents and explained that we were dating. His mother had been overly excited and then had cried, just like he said she probably would. I smiled as I recalled our evening with them and absentmindedly rubbed circles on Fitz's hand.

"I just knew something would develop between the two of you." Marie said with a smile as she wagged a finger back and forth between Fitz and me.

"How'd you know that, mom?" Fitz asked.

"Mothers always know. Now, am I allowed to be excited?" She asked with a chuckle.

I smiled at Marie and said, "I'm just as excited as you are."

"Good, because it's really too late for me to ask. I'll be on the phone with all my friends by the time you two get out of the driveway."

I laughed at Fitz's mother's words. She seemed very sweet and led me to sit down beside her on the sofa. "I do have a question for you, Marie."

"You can ask me anything at all. I'm an open book."

With a straight face, I asked, "How difficult was it raising him? I've been around him for several long weeks and I can't imagine him as a kid." The two of us burst into laughter.

"Great. We've been here for five minutes and you're already asking for baby stories. Next thing you know she'll drag out the...MOM! No!" Fitz said loudly as his mother grabbed his baby book and put it in her lap. "I'm just gonna go take Roscoe outside while you show Olivia all of my naked baby photos. Come on, Roscoe."

The dog looked up at his owner, but otherwise didn't move from his spot beside William on the recliner.

"Roscoe? Get your lazy ass up off that chair and come outside with me. Please?"

Roscoe laid his head down in William's lap and sighed.

Fitz sighed too and pushed open the back door, walking out alone while muttering about his dog.

When he came back inside, his mother and I were drinking a cup of coffee and chatting away like old friends. I was telling Marie about how amazing Fitz had been on our road trip. That he was brilliant at his job and that all of his people loved him. I looked up and caught his smile as he poured a cup of coffee for himself and sat down beside me.

"She's not bad at her job either." Fitz said, jerking a thumb in my direction. I smacked his arm lightly and grinned at him.

"The two of you seem to like you've known each other for years instead of weeks."

"Working side by side with someone for a while will do that, I guess?" He answered smoothly.

"So, what are your plans now?" William asked from his semi coma.

Fitz and I looked at each other. He sat back on the sofa and draped his arm across the back of it. I sat back beside him. "Well," he started. "We need to talk to you about that actually?"

Marie clapped her hands together giddily and stated, "You're getting married, aren't you!?"

I choked on my coffee and immediately sat up as Fitz began pounding on my back.

"Jesus, Marie. They've only known each other for a few weeks. Stop trying to rush that boy down the alter."

"You okay?" Fitz asked, looking at me with concern.

I nodded and set my mug down on the coffee table. "I'm so sorry. It went down the wrong pipe, I think?"

"Mom, we're not getting married. We're still...learning things about each other. It's still new. Too new for something long term like marriage."

"Oh" she said.

"We had a meeting with our supervisors earlier this week and were told that while the job here is completed, both companies want Fitz and I to go to New York and basically do the same thing we've been doing here. Explain the merger, answer questions, calm fears. That type of thing." I explained patiently. I couldn't believe she had jumped straight into marriage already!

"That sounds like fun. You've never been to New York, Fitz. It would be a nice adventure for you. And I'm sure you miss your family, Olivia?" Marie patted her knee. "It'll be nice for you to be in the same state as them for a while too. I can't imagine not having family around for a long period of time."

"I have three brothers and I have missed them a lot." I replied wistfully.

"And now you'll have your boyfriend there with you too."

"Mom!"

"Well. She will. I'll bet New York can be rather romantic at times?" Marie asked.

"I've never thought of New York as romantic, Marie." And I hadn't. "But maybe?"

"The thing is mom, I'll be gone for about six weeks again on this trip to New York. Are you guys okay to continue taking care of my traitorous dog for me?" Fitz asked as he glared at Roscoe.

"Does he look like he wants to go anywhere else?" William asked.

"He looks like he is completely comfortable and in very good hands." Olivia answered.

"You will call and let us know when you've landed there, right? You know how I worry, Fitzgerald." Marie said. "It's just part of being a mother."

At her words, I was immediately reminded of just how close I had become to being somebody's mother myself. I had enough to worry about just taking care of myself, I couldn't imagine having another human being to keep up with and take care of. Not right now at least. I smiled at her and quietly replied, "I'm sure it is." Fitz squeezed my hand, reassuring me he probably knew what I had been thinking. It was of some comfort. If Marie had thought we were going to get married after knowing each other for six weeks, I wondered how she would have taken the news of a surprise pregnancy? I shuddered and threw myself back into the conversation.

"...so, he'll be just fine. You take care of yourself and of course, Olivia. It wouldn't kill you to check in with me from time to time as well, Fitzgerald."

"Okay, mom. I will." Fitz said smiling at her.

"When do you two leave?" She asked.

"In the morning." I answered.

"And, let me guess, you still haven't packed yet?" She shot her son a look.

"Ummmmm..."

"He hasn't." I admitted. "But we are going to his place when we leave here and get that taken care of. And then he is going to take me to dinner."

"Why didn't you say you haven't eaten yet? I was going to cook dinner for Will and me in a few minutes. We're going to have breakfast for dinner. Bacon, pancakes, and scrambled eggs." She said. "You're welcome to stay."

I started squirming at the thought of eggs in my mouth ever again.

Fitz must have sensed it, because he took my hand, stood up, and said, "We really can't, mom. We've got to be on an early flight tomorrow and like Olivia said, I've still got to pack. We've got to get going."

"Thank you for the offer though, Marie. We appreciate you thinking of us. It's very sweet." I didn't want her to feel bad for us ducking out of a dinner invitation, so I went overboard with the gratitude.

"Another time then?" Marie asked.

We were already walking toward the door when Fitz paused and hugged his mother tightly. "Take care of my boy, mom."

She released Fitz and hugged me too, just as tightly. There is something special about a hug from a mother. It's like they know exactly how we need to be held and for exactly how long too. Marie wasn't my mother, but I held onto her just as tightly and didn't want to let her go. I needed that kind of comfort that came only from a mother. The kind that I haven't had in years. It felt so good to just to be held. Mid hug she whispered to me, "You take care of my boy too, dear."

"I will. I promise." I whispered back to her before she pulled away and looked at me.

Her smile faltered some and she drew me back into her arms. I wondered why she had done it, but honestly, in that moment, I didn't care what her reasons were. I smiled, knowing this special woman had raised a special son, whom I loved with all my heart.

"Why does Liv get two hugs and I only got one?" Fitz fake whined.

Marie pulled back again and said, "She just looked like she needed it. You kids be careful and please let me know when you arrive in New York."

"We will, mom. I love you."

"Love you both." She was waving from the door as we walked towards the car hand in hand.

"I adore your mother." I told Fitz.

"She's a one in a million." Fitz replied.

I was brought back to reality by an overhead announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to John F. Kennedy Airport. The local time is one twenty-three and the temperature is eighty-two degrees. For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the Captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. This will indicate..." The flight attendant droned on.

"You okay?" Fitz asked.

I smiled at him and nodded. "It's good to be back." He squeezed my hand and we waited for the fasten seat belt sign to go off before we started to disembark the plane.

It seemed like everyone was at the airport. It was the middle of the damned afternoon and this place was as busy as a grocery store before dinner time. Fitz kept a firm grip of my hand as we waded through the people on our way to retrieve our luggage at baggage claim. Flashes of the Tulsa Airport went through my mind. And then, of course, that took me to what happened before, during, and after our meeting. I visibly shook my head and continued walking ahead.

Although we were one of the first ones off the plane, somehow a lot of other people beat us there. We found a spot near the spinning metal as suitcases of all shapes, sizes, and colors started to descend and spin around, waiting for someone to pick them up and go on with their day. Being a frequent traveler, I had put a large bright pink elastic around my suitcase for easier spotting. I pointed to it and Fitz easily  
lifted it out. We had to wait for his and after twenty minutes, it seemed that his suitcase had been one of the last ones to exit the plane. He walked away from me, to the left, apparently seeing his own luggage while I stayed in place to wait for him.

I heard my phone ping and picked it up from out of my purse. I had a text from Harrison. I touched the screen and read the message: LOOK UP

I squinted at the screen, not understanding his message but lifted my eyes just the same and saw my three brothers standing not six feet away from me. I almost burst into tears at the sight of them and left my suitcase where it was as I ran for them.

The four of us embraced in a weird group hug and they all kissed my cheeks and took turns happily saying, "Welcome back, Liv! The fab four are back together now!"

At some point I did end up crying and naturally, as brother tend to do, they made fun of me for it. But I held onto them a little tighter than I had the last time I had seen them. "Are you crying? There's no crying at the airport!" Eric stated loudly, doing his best Tom Hanks impersonation.

"Man, shut up!" Harrison said to Eric. "Everybody cries at the airport. It's good to see you again, sis. We're glad to have you back home where you belong."

"What did you bring us from California? A woman, maybe?" Marcus asked.

"How is it that you're still single, Marcus?" I asked. "You're too handsome to be single."

"Can you please tell that to all the ladies in the fine state of New York? This goodness needs to be shared." He grabbed onto the lapels of his button up shirt and tugged on them.

"I'll be sure to take out an ad in the paper tomorrow." I said chuckling. "I have missed you guys SO much! It's really good to be home again and around family!"

"We've missed you too. "Eric said gathering me into another bone crushing hug.

"Soooo, where are you guys taking me to dinner?" I asked half joking.

"We made reservations for Wolfgang Puck's place in Manhattan." Harrison said.

I stared at him speechlessly. Wow. They had pulled out all the stops. Talk about making a girl feel welcomed home. "Are you serious? How in the hell did you get reservations there?"

Harrison's eyebrows went down as his nose crinkled. "No, I'm not serious. Can you imagine how much it is for a meatball in that place? Do you know me?"

Welcome home to me indeed. I laughed at him. Harrison probably had no idea that they didn't serve spaghetti and meatballs there. He was crazy as hell, but he was my brother. "It's good to be home."

"You traveling light these days?" Marcus asked. "Where's your suitcase with that ugly pink thing on it?"

Oh shit. In all the happiness with my three brothers I had forgotten that I wasn't here alone. And I hadn't given them a heads up about Fitz coming with me. I was a natural born planner, but somehow, I had failed to think this one through. Technically, it really wasn't my fault though because they weren't supposed to meet me at the airport. Damn it! I was stressing. How was I going to tell them now?

"What's the matter, Olivia? You look like someone just stole your high end shoes or something?" Eric stated.

"I thought I'd lost you in here for a minute, Liv." Fitz said breathlessly behind me. "I've got your suitcase."

 **Fitz's POV**

"Who is this guy?" One of the men, I assumed were her brothers asked.

"Fitz! My man! How the hell are ya?" Harrison took a few steps to me and gave me a hug. With his arm still around my neck, we faced Olivia and the other two men. "Guys, this is Fitz. I told you about him."

"No ya didn't. I would have remembered you telling me about the whitest man in the world."

"Shut up, Marcus. Fitz is a good guy. He's funny too."

"Really?" The other one asked. "Tell us a joke."

I looked at Olivia for support or help to get me out of the situation entirely, but she wasn't offering any help. "Uhhhhhh" was all I managed to get out.

"Pay no attention to Eric. He's an asshole most of the time." Harrison explained.

Everyone chuckled, which made me breathe a little easier. I extended my arm and said, "it's nice to meet you, Eric."

He eyed me suspiciously. "Yea. You too."

"You must be Marcus? The excellent driver?" I chuckled as I shook his hand.

"Fitz got jokes!" Harrison said, joining in the laughter. "What are you doing in New York anyways? I know you didn't come all this way to escort our sister home?" Harrison asked.

"Actually, he did." Olivia piped in. All eyes turned in her direction and as bad as that sounded, I was grateful for the diversion. The three of them were a bit overwhelming. "I had planned to call the three of you later on, after we got settled, and let you know the big news."

"What big news? You two getting married or somethin'?" Eric asked laughing.

Harrison glared at his brother and slowly shook his head back and forth. "That's not funny. Don't even joke about shit like that, Eric." Turning to his sister, he asked, "What's this big news?"

Olivia looked up at me and I tried to read the expression on her face. It was pointless because she wore a look of steel determination at the moment. She straightened her shoulders and said, "You know how I went to California to help Fitz break the news of the merger to his employees?"

They nodded.

"We did that job and finished it beautifully. Maybe you saw us on the news? We're kind of a big deal now?" She smirked superiorly at them.

Her brothers all rolled their eyes and groaned at her putting on airs. I laughed.

"Corporate insisted that since we did such a phenomenal job there, that Fitz fly out east to work side by side with me here to start a conversation with my employees about the merger."

"What the hell does all that mean in plain English?" Marcus demanded.

"I really haven't missed explaining everything to the three of you more than once." Olivia muttered. She took a deep breath and added, "it means that Fitz is staying in New York for a few months to help me with work stuff."

"Why didn't you just say so to begin with? You gotta get a stick up your ass and act like you're fancier than us."

My mouth formed an O as my eyebrows went skyward, and I turned to Olivia and grinned. "You have a stick up your ass too? The truth comes out now that your home, huh?"

She laughed loudly and hit me on my arm.

Harrison, Marcus, and Eric stared at us in total silence and exchanged looks between themselves. "What are we talking about now?"

Olivia caught their confused expressions and stopped laughing abruptly. "Inside joke."

"Yea. Can we all get the hell outta here now or did you guys want to spend the night here?" Eric asked.

"Nothing is going to stop me from sleeping in my own bed tonight!" She declared.

"Cool. We can drop Fitz off at his hotel and then take you home. Leesa is gonna bring Sophie over as well as some dinner. We're having a mini family reunion." Harrison explained.

I glanced nervously at Olivia and she shot me back a similar look. I had no hotel reservation and no hotel to be dropped off at because I was staying with her at her place. We had already discussed it. I was on the verge of suggesting that they take me to the first hotel we saw when Olivia spoke up.

"Fitz is coming with us to my apartment. End of story." She grabbed the handle of her suitcase and started walking away, leaving us staring at each other. To say it was uncomfortable was an understatement.

"Wait a minute!" Marcus called out to his sister. "Why is he coming with us? No disrespect, man."

Olivia stopped walking and turned to us. I couldn't wait to hear what she would tell them. It was obvious that she didn't want them to know that we were dating yet. "Because he has to eat dinner. And he's a guest here. My guest. So, we aren't leaving him in a hotel by himself in a city he's never been to."

"Makes sense." Harrison confirmed. "Sophie will be happy as hell to see you again anyways. Besides, you can tell us all about what happened in California."

"What do you mean?" I asked as sweat began to run down my back. I refused to look at Liv and give something away.

"Well, it seems that California is cursed or something. First, she sprains her ankle. Then she..."

Olivia started laughing and went to her brother, putting her arms around him. "Thank you! You are my favorite brother, Harrison."

"What the hell did you just say?" Eric said.

"Right? You can't just be calling out favorites right in front of us!" Marcus whined.

"Harrison, you've just made my life a living hell for the next few days. I just got her to drop the idea that my home state isn't cursed and here you come bringing it back up. Thanks, man." I grimaced at him but ended it with a smile, which he returned.

"Don't blame me for that voodoo shit you probably put on her before she even arrived. I'm sure it's a requirement of your company for all employees when any competition comes around? Besides, the alternative is for me to blame you. And you don't want an over protective brother having a beef with you because his only sister is accident prone." Harrison explaining grinning.

Olivia stepped away from him and said, "You're not my favorite anymore."

"But you did say it in front of Eric and Marcus, and that counts." Harrison joked.

The five us of piled into Eric's car like circus clowns and headed for Olivia's place. I studied each of her brothers in silence trying to figure them out. Harrison was the easiest since I had met him already. We had broken the ice with each other and he was the most comfortable one for me to talk to. But I knew he was fiercely protective of his sister, all joking aside. I wondered if the news of Olivia and I dating would be easier or more difficult for Harrison for those reasons?

Eric seemed the hardest one for me to understand. He was aloof and seemed pissed off at the whole world in general. But he was funny and protective of Olivia too. I assumed all three of them were? I put myself in their shoes and imagined my sister coming home with a strange man we had never met and announcing that he was going to her house. Yea, that wouldn't sit well with me either. I could respect them for feeling that way towards me.

Marcus had to be the youngest one. He seemed carefree and was as humorous as his siblings. But he kept an eye on Olivia at all times and it came across as needed confirmation or protection. Maybe a little bit of both? He seemed the most judgmental of the three brothers but also the most loyal. Maybe I was reading too much into it?

Twenty minutes after we arrived at Liv's place, loud screeching could be heard. I dropped what I was doing and ran toward the living room to find Olivia and Leesa wrapped up in a happy hug in the open doorway. I watched the two women cling to each other and it was then that it hit me. Leesa was probably the only woman that Olivia was completely comfortable with and had no walls up against? Of course she had missed her and was overjoyed to be around a female who wasn't anxiously competing against her, but was a kindred spirit.

I was smiling as I watched the two women enjoy their moment together when something hit my legs. I looked down and discovered it was a someone instead. Sophie was looking up at me with her beautiful brown eyes, arms stretched in my direction as she wore an excited grin. I bent down and scooped her up as she wrapped her little arms around my neck and held me tight. It was the best feeling in the world and I squeezed back. "How has my favorite girl been?"

"I been good." She answered.

"I'm so glad you came over to visit with me." I told her. "I was getting lonely with no one to talk to."

She giggled and hugged me again. I held onto her for a minute, patting her back, and wondered when I would have a daughter of my own? I'm not typically one to look back on things, but the trip to Tulsa and the conversation with Olivia in the emergency room came rushing back into my brain. I knew we still had a lot of things to talk about and learn from each other, but I also knew I wanted a future with Olivia. And a child.

Deciding to live in the moment, I shrugged off the heavier thoughts that I had no control over at the moment anyways. I was about to head into the kitchen to get Sophie something to drink when we almost bumped into her father.

"Those two scare the shit out of me all the time." Harrison muttered as he watched his sister and his wife. "I think Liv would choose Leesa over me most days if she had the opportunity?"

He was joking of course. "But I'll bet she doesn't give Liv shit when she needs it?"

"Fitz, you know how to make a brother feel needed. Let's go into the kitchen and get ourselves a drink." He jerked his chin in the women's direction. "They will stand there bawling all over each other for an hour if we let them. That means we can drink in peace."

Sophie wriggled out of my arms and went to her mother and aunt.

Harrison was my favorite brother now too. We went into the kitchen and he poured each of us a generous amount of scotch. We clinked glasses and threw back the amber liquid, feeling it burn as it raced to our stomachs. "Now that is a drink!" I told him, holding my glass our for more. "Your sister is a wine snob, but I can't hang with that shit. I need a man's drink."

"No one can drink that shit but Liv and call it good. Exactly why me and the boys keep a bottle of the good stuff at her place! To a man's drink!" He toasted, and we threw our drinks back.

"Why are we toasting to anything man related in my apartment? Men are the enemy here. In fact, I plan on being the supervisor over many men. Including one that is in this room."

I raised my eyebrows and sent her a challenging look while everyone else looked my way and chuckled amidst exaggerated "ooooh's" .

"Men are the..." She began.

"The ones who scratch your itch when you need it so shut the hell up." Marcus happily supplied.

Maybe Marcus was my favorite brother? Olivia's eyes met mine across the room and she was laughing at her brother's reply, but I saw through that. She was thinking about that itch and thinking about exactly how I scratched it for her. I was thinking the same thing.

Leesa put an arm around Harrison and said, "I know that's right. Maybe you should hook up with that guy you were seeing before you left? What was his name? Bradley? Brandon? Whatever it was, I'm sure it's been way too long since you've been scratched?" She laughed.

This was new information to me. So, there had been a guy before Olivia left New York? I smiled at Leesa politely and then flicked my eyes to Liv. She was no longer laughing. It seems we still had things to talk about? I set my glass down and excused myself from the room. I made it up to the bathroom, stepped in, and was suddenly pushed further into the room by someone behind me. I turned around and watched Olivia shut and lock the door. "I'll be out in a minute, Liv. I don't really need anyone to hold my hand."

"Funny." She moved so she was standing in front of me. "I would really like to be holding your hand when we go out there and tell my family that we are dating though."

She was looking up at me as if I were the deciding factor of this situation. I searched her eyes, trying to figure out if she was truly ready to tell her family about us? I put my hands on her hips and said, "there's no rush to tell them. I'm okay with being your dirty little secret a while longer if you want?"

"I'm not ashamed of you or us. We are both adults living our lives. There's no reason to hide it from them." She stated matter of factly.

She had a confident look on her face and it was hard for me to not get sucked into it too. Before long I found myself grinning down at her and she returned it. "What will Bradley or Brandon think when he finds out though?"

"Shut up." She said on a laugh. "The truth is that I made him up to my family, so they would get off my ass about dating."

"Whaaaaaaat?" I asked as my grin grew even wider. "You lied to those people to save your ass? I can't wait to tell them!" I turned and headed for the door, but she stopped me with a giggle.

"I give Eric and Marcus a hard time about being single all the time. One night a few months ago, they were all giving me hell about it. Asked why I have all of this great dating advice but don't date anyone. I was kind of backed into a corner. So, I made up a guy. Said I worked with him. I was vague about where I met him and when we spent time together. But they bought it. They wanted to meet him after a while. A week later I was told I was flying to California for work. It was perfect timing."

For the second time today, she had shocked me. I shook my head back at forth at the deceptive little woman standing in front of me. She was kind of a genius. "I wish I had thought to do something like that to my mother years ago. It would've made life a little easier for me."

She laughed loudly, and it echoed though out the small room. I pulled her close to me and held on tightly. "We don't have to do this today you know? If you want to take a few days to get settled back into your routine, it's completely fine. I don't want you to feel pressured to do anything. Not for them and certainly not for me."

"I'm ready now. I want them to know about us. To know that I love you. That I'm in love with you. There are things that they don't have to know about. Things we've been through the past few weeks, but this seems like a relatively simple thing to share with them apart from those bigger issues. I'm ready if you are?"

I smiled at her. "I'm fairly certain that they won't assume we are rushing to get married like my mother did. But which one of your brother is going to want to kick my ass?"

She shrugged. "Probably all three of them, but you can handle it. Besides, I'll help. I'm short, but I got 'em from the knees down."

Now it was my turn to laugh. The deep sound reverberated around the small room. She joined me in the laughter and the sound was as sweet as any melody I had ever heard. When the sound died down, she held me tighter and we took the moment to gather strength and determination from each other. We were about to officially be out to everyone we knew and loved as a couple. The last big hurdle until the summer ended. But now wasn't the time to think about the negative. Now was the time to live each moment as we wanted to with each other. Without secrets or hiding. It was gonna be great.

I wanted to kiss her so badly right now but knew the pesky bug she had been recently attacked by was still in her system. I would have to wait a little while longer. "Just remember Liv, no matter what they say or how they react – I love you."

"I love you too. I'll bet they will all be happy for us? We're probably stressing for nothing?"

Feeling more calm about the situation, I held onto her hand as I went to the door and turned the handle. When I pulled the door open, five people stood on the other side of the door and almost fell inside the bathroom.

"Did I really just hear you say 'I love you' to my sister?" Harrison demanded with a scowl?


	22. Express Yourself

Express Yourself

 **Fitz's POV**

Five faces looked intently at us as we stared back at them. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. It was then that they noticed Olivia and I were holding hands and their gazes locked in on it with intensity. Olivia and I looked at each other, neither one of us knowing how to handle this nosey group.

Harrison's eyes snapped back to mine. He wore an angry expression and it looked like he wanted to beat my ass to a pulp. "Maybe you didn't hear the question? I said, did I really just hear you say I love you to my sister?"

I shifted to move Olivia behind me, but she wasn't having that and shoved her way to standing beside me once again. Stubborn little woman. I rolled my eyes and decided to change tactics and put the ball back in his court. With a dash of guilt. "Did you hear me say that, Harrison?"

He nodded.

"And how did you hear it?" I asked.

"I had my ear to the door. And before you ask me another stupid question about something I did in my sister's house, maybe you should think about the fact that the three of us are pissed off at you right now? The only one in this place that isn't family is YOU. I can say whatever the hell I..."

"No, you can't. You are my brother, but this is still MY house, Harrison. And what I do in MY house is MY business. Not yours." Olivia explained. I wanted to grin so badly but thought it would probably earn me a punch in the mouth and refrained.

"Are you really gonna stand there and defend him, Liv? Really?" Harrison spat out angrily.

Olivia pushed away from me and stood toe to toe with Harrison. "Defend the man I love? Yes, Harrison. I am. And if you have a problem with it, I suggest you get over it. Or go home."

Harrison's eyes went from his sister to mine. "You just let your woman fight your battles for you? That's such a little bitch move."

This time I did move Olivia behind me. And wouldn't let her move from that spot. "Harrison, I have no beef with you." I looked into all five faces. "With any of you. But the fact of the matter is that I love your sister. We didn't plan on it happening, but it did. I know it's not how you wanted to find out, but now you know, and I suggest, like Liv said, that you get over it! You being angry isn't going to change anything."

It was painfully tense for a long time as Harrison and I stared at each other until he flicked his glance over my shoulder at Olivia and broke into a huge grin. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again. His balls are even bigger than yours."

"I...What did you just say?" I asked.

"Liv's got a boyfriend." Marcus sang. Before long the four adults chimed in and they gave a mini concert, each adding their own dance moves.

"You guys are ridiculous." Olivia said shaking her head back and forth and pushing through the bodies as she left the bathroom.

I grinned at her family. "You guys aren't mad at me then?"

"Nah. Liv's a grown up most of the time. I would say I'm surprised, but I'm pretty sure something has been going on between the two of you for a while now?" Harrison said.

"Pretty sure is a safe bet, Harrison." I said with a wink and a grin and left the room in search of Olivia.

The seven of us ate dinner and every now and then a question would be lobbed in our direction about our relationship. It was what I expected from her family and it felt good to be able to talk about it openly with them as we had done with my family.

"Do you guys know who is getting the promotion yet?" When we shook our heads back and forth, Eric added, "Why are they dragging their asses on telling you?"

"We were told we would find out at the end of the summer. We've still got to get through the month of July and then we'll find out. By then, I should get the news that I'm Liv's boss." I explained with a grin.

Wadded up napkins were thrown in my direction, along with a lot of negativity. I laughed and said, "you're all biased as hell and you know it."

"Maybe you can show your leadership skills by clearing up the dishes?" Olivia said sarcastically.

I grabbed my plate and went to get hers. Before I picked it up, I leaned down and touched my smiling lips to hers. "You really should show the proper respect by calling me boss."

Her brothers gave the 'ooooooh' sound.

"Fitz. That's not gonna happen. Even if by some miracle you do get the promotion." She replied, grinning.

I took our dishes into the kitchen and began rinsing them off and stacking them into the dishwasher. A few minutes later, Leesa came in to help with several plates in her hand. I smiled at her and continued with my task. "I think you're good for Liv." She said.

"That makes two of us." I joked.

"Don't pay no mind to those three. They all think they are her father in some small way. They all banded closer together when they lost their parents. It's just their way of looking out for each other. It's not personal." She explained.

"I can understand that, and it makes a lot of sense to me. They are a good support system for her to have. A bit overwhelming at times, but good to have I'm sure." The fact of the matter was that I liked Olivia's three brothers. I felt comfortable talking smack with them or simply standing my ground with them. They were a good group and it was obvious that they love their sister.

"Overwhelming is a good word to use to describe the four of them when they are together. But you seem to know how to hold your own in difficult moments. Liv's gonna need that kind of stability in her life."

"We seem to balance each other out fairly well. The difficulty will come when we find out who gets this promotion. I don't know what we'll do then?" I needed to voice my concerns about the matter with someone, and Leesa, while Olivia's best friend, was there with a listening ear.

She handed me a glass and asked, "What do you mean?"

"We told our bosses that we are dating. We had to make it known due to the company policy on interoffice relationships. But a supervisor isn't permitted to be in a relationship with a subordinate, according to those same policies." It sounded more and more outdated the more I explained it to people, but it wasn't my place to decide what was outdated policies and what made sense.

"Wait a minute! Are you saying that once the promotion is handed down, the two of you will no longer be able to date each other?" Leesa's face registered genuine shock.

I nodded.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of! I mean, I kind of understand why, but," She sighed loudly. "Damn. What are the two of you gonna do?"

"I honestly don't know. Part of me tries not to think about it. And the other part of me worries about it all of the time. I don't want to lose her, and I don't want to lose my job." I admitted.

"The two of you are well paired. You're both driven and intelligent. You'll figure it out when the time comes. You have a good heart Fitz and I know that's one of the reasons why Olivia loves you."

Loud laughter came from the living room and Leesa and I grinned at each other. "So, did they all immediately love you when Harrison introduced you to the family?"

She put the last of the silverware into the dish washer and grinned at me. "Naturally. What's not to love?"

I chuckled at her brazen honesty and she joined in. A moment later, she straightened her face and pointed a finger at me. "I'm gonna give you a heads up about something that no one had the curtesy to give to me when I started coming around. No matter what, say no when they invite you to play any kind of game. The four of them cheat!"

"What? You're kidding, right? Have you seen Liv's adorable little face?"

"She's worse than the boys."

I laughed at the thought of my Livvie cheating while playing a game. "Nooooo."

"I'm telling you."

"Are the two of you done Martha Stewart-ing the kitchen or what?" Marcus called out.

"Yea, yea. We're almost done." Leesa replied.

"Good! Cause we wanna play a game."

I could hear the sarcasm in his voice. I looked over at Leesa and watched as she shot daggers into the living room. "I told you!" She whispered angrily.

The Pope's were pulling out all the stops it seemed. I had a few tricks up my own sleeve. I grinned at Leesa and said, "Don't worry about it. You and I will be our own team and we will wipe the floor with them. I assume you know how to cheat too?"

"Do bears shit in the woods?" She asked with a look.

"Let's go kick their asses then." We excitedly gave each other a high five and left the kitchen.

Later on, at Olivia's door, the two of us gave hugs to everyone and told them good night. Leesa and I had indeed mopped the floor with Olivia's family. It was something Leesa and I were overly proud of while the Pope's were feeling the exact opposite about it. "I know the two of you cheated. You can't tell me otherwise." Eric accused.

"Prove it." Leesa challenged him. Sophie had long since fallen asleep and her mother was holding her as everyone said their goodbyes. "But if you wake up my baby, I will whip your ass!"

Eric walked off, heading for home, promising to figure it out and report back.

Olivia leaned over and kissed Sophie on her chubby little cheek and hugged Leesa. "That is a good man you have. You be sweet to him and let him be sweet to you."

"You're bossy when it's late." Olivia chuckled.

I too kissed the sleeping girl on the cheek as well as her mother and said, "Tell him nothing" followed by a lopsided grin.

Everyone was gone, the doors were locked, the dishes were done. Olivia and I headed upstairs to go to bed. I helped her pull numerous decorative pillows off of her queen sized bed and put them into a nearby chair. I silently wondered what women's fascination was with decorative pillows that had to be removed and replaced every time you got in and out of the bed?

Thankful that it wasn't a hotel bed, I happily crawled under the sheet and comforter, stretching my arm in Olivia's direction for her to snuggle close to me. It felt good to have her close and all to myself and I gave her a little squeeze. "That went pretty well. Don't you think?"

"You mean once I realized that Harrison wasn't going to beat the shit out of you? Yea." Olivia replied. She laid her head on my chest and began rubbing circles on it with her left hand. "What I want to know is how you and Leesa won the game? No one ever wins when they play against us."

"That's because the four of you cheat." I stated.

"What?" She exclaimed. "No, we don't."

"Okay, Liv. Whatever you say." I knew that defensive tone of voice. It meant one thing. She was fibbing. Now we both knew it.

She picked her head up off my chest, looked me in the eye, and asked, "what makes you think we cheat?"

She was adorable. A great actress too. It was time to lay everything out plainly for her. "Leesa told me while we were in the kitchen. She said you guys do it all the time. Annnnnd she said you're the worst one about it. Is there anything you'd like to tell me?" I smiled and wondered what she had to say for herself.

She laid her head back down and muttered, "no."

That one word answer and the defeated way she said it made me want her in the worst way. "What I want to know, is when is it going to be safe for us to have sex again? I miss you." I whined.

"The doctor said four to seven days. It's only been three. Trust me, I've been keeping up with it. I miss sex too." She grumbled.

"Four more days? I want us to be safe and healthy, but four days is like a hundred years to a guy." More like two hundred, but I didn't want to appear to be too desperate. Even though I was. I missed having her naked body underneath or on top of mine. I missed watching her face as she reached her climax. I missed feeling her buttery smooth skin and making it overheat using my hands and mouth in very creative ways. I missed sex with Olivia.

"You think it's any easier for a woman? The things we do with each other and to each other are constantly on my mind. We're really good at what we do behind closed doors, but it's four days. Ninety six hours. Five thousand seven hundred and sixty minutes." She calculated. "It's a small price to pay to stay healthy."

Ok, so maybe it had been on her mind too and was just as difficult for her to wait for it as it was for me? Maybe? I would try my best to not bring it back up. One question was on my mind though. "How many seconds is that?"

"Roughly three hundred forty five thousand six hundred seconds. Like I said, I've been keeping up with it. Let it go. Besides, you need to get some sleep. You're going to be feeling the fact that you're in a different time zone in the morning and we have to make a trip to corporate before lunchtime. You'll want to be sharp for another meeting with Cyrus." She reminded me. "It's not a picnic on a good day with him."

"He has good days?" I sighed. "Why does he have to make things so much more difficult than they actually are? It's like it's his goal in life."

"It's just the way Cyrus is." she explained. "I don't think he means to, it's just...him."

"I don't believe for one second that he doesn't mean to act like a complete asshole." I replied. After a few silent minutes, I felt her go still and heard her breathing begin to even out. I kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Nite, Liv. I love you."

"Mmmmloveyoutoo." She mumbled.

 **Olivia's POV**

Meeting with Cyrus was a lot like having a tooth pulled. You never looked forward to it, but it was necessary to avoid further pain. Today was no exception. Fitz and I walked through the front door and got into an elevator, heading up to the floor my office is located. We had arrived early just so I could give him the grand tour of our offices.

"You are a sight for sore eyes, Miss Pope." Lori said smiling from her seat behind her desk.

"It's really good to be back home, Lori. Everything been okay while I've been gone?" I asked.

"Everything's been great. How was your road trip in California? Did you nail down that promotion as perfectly as you had planned?" Lori reminded me of the confidence and drive I had for the job before I left New York. That seemed like such a long time ago.

"The road trip was a lot of fun. The weather was amazing, and it rarely rained. The people were very sweet. Too sweet in fact. I missed the general everyday bitchiness that can only be found on a typical day in New York. I met a lot of interesting people there though. Some business related and some not." I gestured to Fitz and added, "in fact, this is one of the business related people I met in my time there. This is..."

"Fitzgerald Grant." Lori supplied and stood up. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Yes. How did you know that?" I asked, taken by surprise.

I watched Fitz shake her hand with a pleasant smile on his face. "It's nice to meet you as well, Lori"

"Mr. Beene called me yesterday and explained the situation to me. And then he emailed me earlier this morning." It was obvious by her tone, that Lori wasn't pleased that Cyrus had reached out to her ahead of Olivia and spilled the beans about her boss' personal life. "He's expecting you in his office and made it very clear that I was to give you that message the moment you came in today."

I smiled back at Lori. We both had more than a slight disdain for Cyrus, but we both also knew that he was my supervisor and what he wanted was priority. Still, he didn't know I was here yet. "He can wait a few minutes more." I told her. "I'm going to give a quick tour to Fitz and then we'll go see him together."

Lori took her seat again and replied, "If he asks, I haven't seen you yet." Her phone began to ring and with one glance down at it, Lori muttered, "speak of the devil" before picking up the receiver and saying in a pleasant tone, "Olivia Pope's office. Can I help you?"

I ushered Fitz into my office and quietly closed the door as Lori gave my excuse to Cyrus. He walked around looking at my office from top to bottom. It was considerably bigger than his office, but neither one of us mentioned that fact. "Nice place. No wonder you love coming to work every day." Fitz said still looking around.

"You should really get to know this place. Specifically, how to get to my office from the front door of the building." It was petty, and I knew I shouldn't do it, but I couldn't resist.

"Oh? Why's that?" He asked.

"It'll make it easier for you to show up to meetings on time when you have to meet with your new boss." I said grinning.

Now he did turn to me. "You got jokes this early in the morning? That's a good one, Liv." He took his time walking towards me with a lopsided grin on his handsome face. He slid his arms around me and pulled me close.

At first, I didn't think it was a good idea to behave this way at work. Especially since we were at the corporate office. But a quick glance over his shoulder reminded me that the door was in fact closed. "I do what I can. Besides, you've met my family. I come from a long line of smartasses."

"That is very true. I have. And you definitely do. But I think the powers that be brought you to California first for a reason." He stated confidently.

"Oh? And what would that reason be?" I asked playing along.

"Have you ever heard of foreshadowing in a book? It's an indication of what is to come in the story. It's kind of like an advanced hint in the beginning of a story so that you..."

"I know what foreshadowing is, Fitz." I declared. "What are you saying?"

"I'm simply saying that maybe they brought you to California as a type of foreshadowing. To let you know, as an advanced hint, that you will become my subordinate." His superior grin and the confident way he spoke made his compelling little speech seem more like a fact than the ridiculous guess that it was. "That I will become your boss."

"That is a very interesting thought." I said looking up to him. God, he was handsome. I wished the remaining three days were over already. I needed to feel his hands on me almost as badly as I needed to put mine on him.

"It really is." He said cockily.

"You've heard of plot twists in books too, right?" The way his confident smug look wavered, I almost burst into laughter. "That's where the writer takes the story in a completely different direction than the reader expected. It usually happens at the end of a story. I'd be on the look out for THAT!"

"Yea, that smartass gene was definitely passed down to you." He said, smiling. "It's a good thing you're fucking adorable in every way."

"I think that's a compliment, but it was buried under so much sarcasm, so I'm not entirely sure?"

"It was definitely a compliment. I've picked up sarcasm as a second language very quickly since my time with you." He clenched his jaw. "Am I allowed to whine about how much I want to fuck you senseless right now?"

I looked up into his brilliant blue eyes. The look of lust on his face was unmistakable. I felt the familiar ache between my legs at his sexy declaration. "What would you do to me if you could?" The words fell out of my mouth before I could catch them.

Something changed in Fitz's eyes. They looked stormy somehow. Darker. He clenched his jaw again and seeing the muscle move made me want to lick his jawline. I had to get myself out of this situation somehow. It would result in nothing but discomfort for both of us. And we still had a meeting to go to with Cyrus. "I'm sorry. That's not helpful at..."

"First," he picked me up and my dress pant covered legs eagerly went around his thick waist. My body was on autopilot when it was around him. I didn't know whether to feel proud or betrayed? "I would pick you up and carry you to that brown leather chair that's behind your desk."

Fuck. He was going to show me what he wanted to do as he described it. Uncomfortable day it is then.

"When we were standing...right about here, I'd set you on your feet."

He slowly let my body drag down the front of his and I could feel a familiar hardening at his center. At least he would be uncomfortable too.

"I'd reach a hand down, unzip these dress pants, let them fall to the floor, and help you step out of them."

I think he knew that would create more problems for both of us and sadly refrained from acting that part out with me. I was slightly disappointed.

"Then I'd lift you up and set you down on top of your desk."

Suddenly, I was sitting just where he described. On top of my mail and messages. Fitz sat down in my leather chair like he owned the place, and this was typical business conducted every day. He began to run his hands up and down my thighs and I closed my eyes and took a moment to picture it minus the pants. It wasn't difficult to do.

"What color panties do you have on today?" He asked. "I missed seeing you get dressed this morning. That may have been intentional on my part, with three days to go."

My eyes popped open and I looked at him. Momentary confusion caused me to stumble over my words. "Ummmm...mint green." His teasing smile seemed pleased with the effect he was having on me.

He got a far away look on his face before snapping his eyes back to me and clearing his throat. "Right. Then I would ease you backwards until you were lying flat on your back." Fitz put a hand in the center of my chest and gently pushed me backwards.

As I stared up at the ceiling, fully dressed and listened for more sex laden details, I wondered, why did I have to get food poisoning? I could be having what sounded like very creative sex with Fitz right now.

He picked up my ankles in his large hands and I wondered what he was doing? I didn't have to wonder for long because he set them down. Curiosity had me picking my head up to see what he was doing. My feet were planted on the arm rests of my chair and Fitz was staring intently at my center. I knew good and well what he had in mind next. I wasn't sure I could stand to listen to him describe it though.

"I would nibble my way up your legs, to your inner thigh, alllll the way around to your hip."

I felt his mouth on my leg and when I peeked at him he was staring at me. He casually moved up my leg until he reached my hip bone.

"Where I would bite those pretty mint green lace panties right off of you and enjoy every second of it."

Shit. I couldn't do this anymore. I sat all the way up and caught the look of confusion on his face.

"What are you doing? I'm not done with you Miss Pope."

"Fitz, this is fun and all, but I can't do this."

"You asked me what I would do to you if I could. It's not my fault you're getting all worked up over my description of what would transpire between us in this room if it were three days from now instead of today. You'll be fine. Lay back and enjoy your punishment."

Now I was imagining him punishing me. I needed to get the hell out of here.

"All I'm saying is that I need to..."

He raised his eyebrows skyward and again pushed me back down on my desk. "And all I'm saying is...Lay. Back. Down!"

I laid back. I hadn't ever seen this side of him. It was super hot.

"Once I had your panties off I would devour you until you were a trembling moaning soaking wet ball of need."

Mission practically accomplished. The combination of his magical words mixed with his sexy baritone voice was pushing me closer to the edge. Of the desk and insanity. As creative as his words were, I knew his body could deliver the reality of them far better.

"I can't wait to taste you again, Liv. One of my favorite places to be is face down between your thighs. I am going to make you scream my name as I write mine on your most sensitive area with my tongue." He licked his lips while looking into my eyes at the thought of it. "You'd better hope that the next three days goes by slowly because once it gets here, it's going to take you three days to recover from what I'm going to do to you.

Fuuuuuuuck!

"But you're not going to get three days to recover. I hope there's nothing on the agenda for work the next day because you're not getting out of bed! I am going to...Wear. You. Out!" He leaned closer to me each time he said the last three words.

Sick day in three days. Check!

I watched him push himself out of my chair, sending it rolling behind him as he looked into my eyes with determination. "But I'm getting ahead of myself with that. Once I've had my fill of you, I would grip your ankles and hold them high over your head. I would down look into your beautiful brown eyes, tell you that I love you, and ram into you so hard you'd see stars."

I groaned out loud at the thought of our bodies being joined together again. Of course, he was holding my legs high into the air, spread eagle the entire time he spoke the visionary words.

"You're imagining it aren't you? While you've been counting the hours, minutes, and seconds until I can have my wicked way with you again, I've been counting the different positions I'm going to have you in." He leaned towards me again and said, "So far, I've come up with eleven, but I haven't really invested a whole lot of time into it yet. Not like this. That number is sure to go higher as the days drag by."

"I would take my sweet time sliding every inch of myself into your wet heat. And then pulling almost all the way out of you before starting the process all over again. It would be torturous and amazing and mutually satisfying. And you, you are going to be so deliciously sore by the time I get done with you." He was giving me that proud lopsided grin again.

I decided to try to be brave. To show him that he hadn't affected me quite like he thought he had. I leaned up on my elbows and in a bored voice I asked, "Is that it?"

His grin grew wider. That was not the affect I had hoped to have on him. I was pretty sure I was in trouble here.

He reached a hand towards me and I couldn't grab it fast enough. I had to get the hell off of my desk and away from him before I imploded. As soon as my hand was in his, however, he used it to turn me around so that I was facing away from him. He pushed us forward a step, effectively holding me prisoner between my desk and his chest. He was still holding my hand but used his other one to push my hair off of my neck.

This was bad. Real bad.

He dipped his head and ran his tongue up the column of my neck while making a low humming noise. When he got to my ear he quietly said, "Hell no that's not it. That's far from it, Miss Pope. I mentioned that I have thought of eleven different positions to have you in so far, haven't I?"

I closed my eyes and nodded quickly.

"Just making sure. You see after I had thoroughly had my way with you in this office as you lay down on your desk, I would then feel it is my duty to stand you up, just like this, turn you around – are you comfortable right now?" He asked it as pleasantly as someone asking for directions.

"Y...yes. Yes, I am comfortable." I replied. I hated myself for stuttering to his simple question. I could practically feel him smiling wider in reaction.

"Okay, good. Well, then I would feel compelled to bend you over the desk this way," He let go of my hand and pushed gently on my back until my right cheek was flat on my desk. Somehow the phone was knocked off the cradle, but neither one of us gave it a second thought. "and take you from behind like this." He pushed his rock solid crotch into my ass and I couldn't stop the moan that escaped from my lips even if I tried. He leaned over my body and got back into my ear. "That should give you something to look forward to as you count down the hours, minutes, and seconds until this little sexual hiatus is over." He smacked my ass and walked away.

I heard his footsteps, but I couldn't move. He had built the sexual tension that I had tried so hard to not think about to an all time high. I saw him examining a piece of art on my office wall and took the opportunity to stand up and straighten my clothing. Damn him for getting me all worked up! I took a few deep breaths to steady myself.

Fitz looked over at me and asked, "Are you alright?" He was casually trying to adjust the situation in his pants.

I smiled at him as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened within these four walls. I walked to the door "Fine. We should probably go to our meeting with Cyrus?"

"We probably should." He agreed. I put my hand on the doorknob and he put his hand on top of mine. "Liv?"

I looked up at him. "Yea?"

"I'm sorry for," he gestured with his hands. "all of that."

I stared into his eyes. He wasn't sorry for shit and I decided to call him out on it. "No, you're not."

"Yea, I'm really not. I just want you to know that I miss you too. I miss being with you, and I miss all of the things that we make each other feel in intimate moments. And I wanted you to know that I really miss having sex with you." He said.

"Oh, I got that." I said smirking at him. "Loud and clear."

"You know, this meeting with Cyrus is actually a good thing."

"It is?" I asked surprised.

"Yea. By the time we get out of there we will forget all about the sexual tension we're feeling right now." He chuckled and leaned towards me, kissing me on the cheek. "I love you."

"I don't know about you, but I could use a good thought cleanser right now." I admitted. "And I love you too. Let's go."

As soon as they stepped out of Olivia's office, Lori said, "Mr. Beene knows you both are here, and he reiterated that he is expecting you in his office ASAP."

"We're headed there now. Thank you, Lori."

"You're welcome seems like the wrong thing to say." Lori quietly replied.

"I like her." Fitz told me laughing as we walked away.

Lori waited until they were out of sight and then went into Olivia's office and turned off the intercom system that had somehow been turned off while Olivia and Fitz had been in her office. She hated that she had heard any of their conversation but was thankful that the intercom system only went to her desk. She scurried out and closed the door behind her.

Olivia knocked briefly on Cyrus' door and listened for the two words allowing her the privilege to enter his majesty's office. When she heard them, she and Fitz stepped inside. He gestured them to the two leather seats on the opposite side of his desk, which they took. "How was your flight back? Everything okay?"

I opened my mouth to reply to his questions, but he never gave me the opportunity to speak.

"That's amazing! Are the two of you ready to hit the road together again?" He asked.

We nodded.

"At the end of this week you'll be giving an interview with the local news. The locals want a crack at interviewing you both, so prepare for that. It'll happen on Friday at five."

I mentally recalled our schedule of stops and remembered that we did have a store to visit on Friday morning. "We're done at the stores by ten though, Cy. We'll be long gone by five in the afternoon."

"Well, stick around! Talk slower. Orrrr plan to go in later. It's just four days from now, Liv. Rearrange your schedule to make the news coverage fit in with your day. Just get it done!" He ordered.

I was about to give him some push back, but Fitz took my hand, squeezed it gently, and looked at me intently. Cyrus missed none of it. "What?" I demanded.

"Liv. It's four days from now." Fitz explained.

"I know." I snapped at him. That wasn't the point. Cyrus was just trying to get us to do more than we were supposed to on this stupid road trip. He didn't give a shit about our schedule.

"That's the day after the third day from now. And Cyrus is asking us to go in later than normal." He patiently said.

And then it clicked. Cyrus wanted us to go in to work later on Friday, so we could talk to the news crew about the merger. And it was the day after I was released from no sex. It wasn't staying in bed all day long as he wanted, but this would work too. I refused to smile because it would throw up red flags for Cyrus at having a happy employee. "Whatever." I said in an annoyed tone. "We'll figure out something."

"I knew you would. There's ahhhh, some other news that the two of you need to know. I offered to share it with you myself." He was giddy. There was no other word to describe his demeanor.

Fitz and I exchanged a nervous look. There was no way whatever his news was could be good for either one of us. I made myself appear and sound casual. "Oh? What's that?"

Cyrus looked at me and gave me his superior smile. "You're cute, Liv. You're acting calm, but you just blew up at me over a small schedule change. This isn't bound to change your attitude."

"So. Tell me what it is." I insisted.

"Corporate has decided that they don't want to wait until the end of the month to announce which one of you gets the promotion. They are picking up the pace of this merger and going full steam ahead with it." He paused to look at each of us for a moment. "They are announcing who gets the promotion of regional vice president a week from today."


	23. Hiatus Over

Hiatus Over

 **Olivia's POV**

I was no longer thinking about the amount of hours, minutes, or seconds left until I was cleared to have sex with Fitz again. It was tomorrow, but it wasn't as high of a priority and all consuming thought as it had been a few days ago. I had tunnel vision zeroed in on the two weeks I had left to impress the powers that be so that I could nab the promotion that should have been mine to begin with. My brain was in overdrive. They had probably already made their decision, but I wasn't one to just leave things on cruise control. I was going to grab this thing by the balls until the decision was announced. I just had to be careful not to hurt Fitz in the process.

Things had been a little strained between us since Cyrus had made us aware of their decision to announce early. Part of it was the sexual tension that was unavoidable due to the salmonella. But the majority of it was that both of us were lost in our own thoughts about this upcoming announcement. He was on his phone with Stephen or Abby a lot more these last few days. And he always left the room when he spoke to them. It was awkward at first, but it's what I had to do whenever Cyrus called me too, so I didn't blame him or hold it against him. The reality of what was coming and what it meant to our relationship was always in the back burner of my brain. I tried to keep it there most of the time, but it sometimes slipped to the front as I worked out my strategy.

Our first stop at my store had gone flawlessly. We worked so well together. So in sync that it was more like a well rehearsed play of two characters than our job. We received compliments from several employees who stated that they felt a lot more at ease about the merger now that they understood the aspects of it that affected them. It was a great beginning to our east coast tour and I planned for the rest of them to go just as effortlessly and successfully.

My mind went back to wondering which one of us had the edge on the promotion when Fitz came back into the hotel room. I felt a lot more confident knowing that we would be in New York when the decision was finally made known to both of us. Something about having the home turf advantage so to speak. That probably had nothing to do with anything, but in my mind it did, and I was holding onto all of the advantage points that I could add up.

"Liv?" He called out loudly.

Fitz's loud voice broke me from my thoughts and I looked up at him with aggravation on my face. "Why are you yelling at me?"

He squinted his eyes at me before he spoke. It was obvious that he was annoyed with my aggravation. "I tried to get your attention three times before you responded. I'm sorry if you didn't hear me."

Shit. Now I felt like an ass. I had to stop snapping his head off at every little thing. "I'm sorry, Fitz. I was deep in thought and didn't hear you. I didn't mean to be bitchy."

"It's okay. We've both been a little on edge ever since we met with Cyrus. It's to be expected I'm sure. I know you've been in touch with Cyrus and I've been in touch with Abby and Stephen about all of this. It's a lot to think about." He huffed out an impatient breath and plopped down on the end of the bed with his head hung down.

I rubbed my forehead, hoping the pain that was beginning to bloom there would just go away. I stood up and went to go sit beside him. I laced my fingers with his and wished that all of this would just go away. It wouldn't of course, but I'd easily spend a penny on the wish if it would make it a reality. I rubbed circles on the spot between his thumb and index finger. This was a fucking mess.

"You're right. Tensions between us are bound to be a little higher right now. There's a lot riding on this promotion and one of us is going to end up slightly broken when we don't get it. Whichever one of us ends up getting the job needs to be sensitive to the one who doesn't get it. Just in the moment that it's announced." I turned towards him and felt his strong arms come around me. It was exactly what I needed in that moment, and I think he needed it too.

He pressed a kiss to the top of my head as I burrowed into his chest and held onto him. "I can agree with that. I want you to know that if you get the job, I'm going to be so happy for you. I want you to know that without a shadow of a doubt."

I looked up at him with tears in my eyes. Why in the hell was he saying these things to me now? He wiped the tears away using the pad of his thumb with a sad smile on his handsome face. I decided to be positive in this moment. "If you get the job, I will be over the moon happy for you. Really, Fitz. I think you deserve it and I think you will make a great regional vice president." His reply was wordless. He just held me tight for a very long time in the silence.

"Well, we can both agree on the fact that our companies have chosen two very qualified candidates. Whichever one of us gets the job will do it justice." He was trying to be positive too I noticed.

"That's true. It'll be a lot of traveling, and we're both qualified enough for that to become flight attendants if we wanted to. We probably have enough frequent flier miles to go wherever we want." That sounded lame to my own ears and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"And we still have those vouchers for a free week long stay curtesy of that hotel. Maybe we could get away for a week somewhere before one of us starts their new job? It could be fun? It'd definitely be relaxing, and we'd need some relaxing once it's all over."

"A week long vacation sounds amazing right now. I wish we could go today." I sighed. "Some place warm. On a beach. A secluded beach, where we could walk around naked all day and not bother the neighbors at night with our noises."

He bumped his thigh against mine. "You mean your noises."

"You make noises too, thank you very much." I replied with a grin.

"Not like you do." He chuckled. "You are loud, Liv. Really loud!"

I raised my eyebrows and shot him a look.

"I'm not complaining! I'm just stating a fact. Honestly? The more noise you make, the more it turns me on." He admitted.

"I'll keep that in mind tomorrow night." I determined, with a chuckle of my own. I lay my head on his shoulder in complete wonder. He had just taken my mind off of the heaviness that threatened to suffocate me. Fitz was a wonder and a gift to me. Before I could continue this conversation with him, my cell phone rang. I retrieved it from the bedside table and looked at the face of it. "I gotta take this. It's Cyrus."

I stepped out into the hall and touched the screen to answer the call. "Missing me already, Cy?"

"Liiiiiiiv!" He sang happily. "How the hell are ya today? You know what? I don't care. I have some news for you!"

"I really don't think I can take any more of your news. It's never good."

"This news is good. Very good in fact. You want to hear this news."

"I..."

"Are you anywhere near the blue eyed guy? If you are, get away from him." Cyrus said loudly.

"Look..." I began.

"GET. AWAY. FROM. HIMMMMM!" Cyrus barked into my ear.

I could practically hear him frothing at the mouth. I rolled my eyes and counted to three in my head as I walked further down the hall away from our door. "I'm not anywhere hear him. Happy?"

"Very." He said pleasantly. "Now, are you sitting down?"

"Cyrus, I really don't have time for your theatrics. Just tell me the damn news." I demanded.

"Don't say I didn't warn ya. The promotion is yours."

I slunk to the floor in the hall like a rag doll. "What did you just say?" I whispered.

"You heard me. It's why you're sitting down somewhere right now." He said confidently.

"How do you know that the promotion is mine? How could you possibly know that?" I asked in disbelief. "Is it true?"

"I can't tell you where I heard it. I mean, I could, but I'm not going to. But it's a fact! Written in stone and guaranteed."

"But...I don't understand."

"You applied for a job and I found out that you got that job. It's really not difficult to understand at all."

Silence filled the line as my mind raced in a thousand different directions. Cyrus was many things, but a liar wasn't one of them. He loved to tell news. Good or bad. He favored the bad, but he wasn't one to keep things to himself either way. If he was telling me that I had the job, it was true.

Ohmygod! I got the job? I squealed loudly before coming to my senses and covering my mouth to muffle the deliriously happy sound. I am the new regional vice president of the company! Holy shit! I got the job! I fist pumped the air with a huge silly grin on my face. That meant I would get a new office, new name plate – with my new title on it I thought with a grin, new co-workers to...Shit!

"Liv? You still there?"

The happy moment was quickly dashed to pieces as my head turned to the right, down the long empty hall towards our hotel room door. I cleared my throat. "Yea. Still here. Are you absolutely sure about this news?"

"I don't deal with what if's, Liv. It's a done deal. I've seen the contract myself that you'll be asked to sign. It still won't be shared until the end of next week, but it is what the announcement will be when it does come out. Of course, you can't tell any of this to your...boyfriend." He paused a beat. "You're welcome by the way."

I mumbled thank you and ended the call. My eyes went back to the hotel room door. Fitz didn't know anything about any of this. He would be crushed when he found out. Why did Cyrus tell me all about this? How in the hell was I supposed to keep it to myself for the next ten days? How was I supposed to act around Fitz? It would be hard to act like we were still in competition with each other when I already knew the outcome. Great. More shit for me to worry about! I dropped my head in my hands as I sat there for a long time thinking about this new revelation.

Eventually, I knew I had to get up and go back into the hotel room and act like everything was fine. That I didn't know I had the promotion. I had to act like Fitz and I were still working towards it. Playing our parts like a couple of puppets whose strings were being held by men in power suits enjoying the show from high above us. Why couldn't something be simple in life? Just one fucking thing?

Sighing heavily, I stood up on shaky feet and slowly made my way back towards the room I shared with Fitz. My sweaty hand was on the doorknob and I stood there for a minute. I moved my head side to side to shake off the nerves. I put on what I thought was a bright smile. Maybe it shouldn't be too bright? That would look suspicious. I dropped it a few degrees making sure it was still a smile. I walked inside.

Fitz was on the phone too. When I walked in, he said his goodbyes and ended the call. We had an unspoken rule where neither one of us would ask the other one about the phone calls we made or received that pertained to work. "Everything okay?" I asked. I knew I shouldn't have asked, but it was out there now.

"Yea." He replied. "I was checking in on Roscoe. Mom says he's doing fine. I'm pretty sure I could hear him snoring in the background."

I couldn't contain the grin that surely covered my face at the image that popped into my mind of his dog snoring. "He's probably got the recliner all to himself too?"

"You'd think he is royalty." He said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm sure he's very happy with his new living arrangement."

"Oh, I'm sure. What about your call? Everything okay?" He asked.

I shrugged noncommittally. "Yea. Just Cyrus being Cyrus." It wasn't a lie, but I changed the subject anyway. "What do you want for dinner tonight?"

He crossed the room and stood in front of me, pulling me into his arms again. "You decide. What I want to eat isn't on the menu until tomorrow."

I grinned and held him tightly. "Do you want to know how many hours or minutes or seconds away that is?"

He looked down at me with a funny grin on his face. He appeared to be thinking it over, but then said, "No thank you. I'm a patient man by nature. It's tomorrow. That's enough for me." He pecked my lips before abruptly pulling away from me and adding, "I do have a question that's not time related though."

I immediately put my guard up. My eyes flicked back and forth between his blue ones. "Oh? Like what?"

"Like are we going to be able to get into your office at some point? I described some very interesting things to you, things that I would very much like to do to you in there."

My breathing became a little shallower and I squeezed my legs together tightly to relieve some of the throbbing as I recalled the very interesting things Fitz had described to me. He clenched his jaw, and I knew he was thinking in very vivid detail about it too. Serves him right for bringing it up, I thought to myself. "I uhhhhh..." My mind was a jumbled mess. Fuck. What was I trying to say?

"I'm thinking a Saturday or Sunday visit might be best? When the offices are more or less empty. I think that would be best for the topic of my discussion. It would be best if no one was around to hear the noises you are so fond of making too."

He dipped his head into my neck and began planting little kisses there. I almost threw him onto the bed and said screw our health.

"The noises I help you make when I touch you and do things that drive you wild with need." He whispered in my ear.

Stop! Stop! Stop! The message was being sent from my brain to my body, but my body wasn't interested in that particular message. I commanded my hand to make him stop and to get him out of my neck. Grabbing a handful of the hair on the back of his neck, I jerked it backwards. The fucker was grinning all superiorly at me! "You've got to stop!"

"What am I doing that's so terrible, Liv?" He asked innocently. "I'm just trying to set up a meeting between us in your office."

I was still gripping his hair in my fist and he was still grinning at me. He knew my weakness. "Stay the hell out of my neck! You know I can think straight when you put your mouth on it."

He feigned surprise. "I had no idea. Was that a little bit uncomfortable for you?"

I was mesmerized by his lips. Why did I even look at them in the first place? Damn him! I shook my head with my eyes closed and spoke to him, keeping them closed. "You know that it is, Fitz. No more. Not until tomorrow." Now I opened my eyes and bored them into his. "Once tomorrow gets here, I'll expect your mouth in my neck and on every inch of skin on my body. It may take me three days to recover from whatever you plan on doing to me, but I plan on giving just as good as I get. You might want to get some sleep tonight? I'm going to turn you into a quivering, exhausted, moaning, I think my dick fell off shell of a man. And then I'm going to really work you over!" Using the grip I had on his hair, I jerked his head towards mine and kissed him once on the lips before roughly releasing him.

He stood in place looking at me silently. His grin never faltered. His eyebrows went skyward as I described my own plans. "Looking forward to it." He said, before walking into the bathroom.

As soon as the door was closed, I let out the breath I had been holding. We were gonna kill each other tomorrow.

 **Fitz's POV**

I yawned in the early morning hour. Craning my head to the left, I saw the large red digital numbers of the alarm clock staring back at me. Four twenty one in the morning. The sun was still asleep, why couldn't I be too? It was far too early to be lying fully awake in a dark hotel room. I blinked my eyes a few times trying to shake off the sleep or fall back into it. It did no good and after a few minutes I gave up the fight. Resigned that I was fully awake, I sighed heavily and turned my head to the right.

There, with her head on my arm and her body curled into my side, Olivia lay blissfully and peacefully asleep. Her body shifted slightly, as if she could feel my eyes on her sleeping form. The room was dark and cool, but my eyes were adjusting to the darkness and I took a moment to just watch her sleep. She was so calm and worry free when she slept. After the past few harried and anxious days we had experienced, it was nice to see her able to let it all go.

She was beautiful while she slept too. Olivia was beautiful all the time. No matter what she was doing or what she was or wasn't wearing. But when she was fast asleep, her features were relaxed, and the cares of this world slipped far away from her. In the land of sleep there were no mergers, no worries about a job, or job performance. No worries about pregnancy, or upset family members, or hurt feelings. It all disappeared. Watching her sleep was one of my favorite things to do in the morning.

I lifted a hand and pushed back a strand of her hair that was lying across her cheek. I tucked it behind her ear with a smile and continued to watch her. She sighed in her sleep and it was the cutest thing I had ever seen. And then. Then those gorgeous brown eyes popped wide open and looked up at me. It took me by surprise for a moment and then I smiled down at her. "Good morning." I said.

She seemed to be studying my face, or maybe trying to get used to the darkness herself. I silently gave her that time and waited for her reply. She rubbed a foot up and down my leg and a smile crossed her face. Instead of repeating the exact same words I had spoken to her, she said, "you know what today is?"

"God yes!" I said before roughly grabbing her in my arms and hauling her warm tiny frame on top of my larger one. I pressed my lips against hers and groaned when I felt her mouth open, for the first time in seven long dry days. My tongue was eager to be reunited with hers and they clashed wildly as we rolled across the bed. Both of us greedily grabbing any exposed skin in the process and trying to uncover more. The Tasmanian devil in a tornado had nothing on Liv and I being reunited.

"Missed you so much." She mumbled between heated kisses.

"Mmmmm, stop talking." I panted, covering her mouth with mine with frantic open mouth kisses. One hand fervently explored her perfect little body underneath the plain white t-shirt she stole from my bag the night before while the other one held her chin in place. I groaned again when I discovered she was bare from the waist down. She had to have done it on purpose, knowing that today was D day. She wasn't leaving this room until she got the D!

I pinned her underneath me and reached down for the edge of the shirt she was wearing and began pulling it up. No matter how fast we seemed to be moving, it didn't seem to be fast enough. I had to have her. Now. Later we'd make time for the slow and romantic. Now was the time for a much needed quick release both of us were craving. I heard her whisper, "hurry!" and knew we were on the same page. I grabbed a condom and rolled it on. I hated these fucking things! We were going to have to talk about that later. Much later.

Apparently, Liv was getting impatient with me because she sat up, pulled the shirt up over her head and pulled me back on top of her. We sank to the mattress, our lips happily reattached. She opened for me and I wasted no time thrusting myself completely into her wet heat. The delirious groan that came from both of us surely woke up the entire floor we were occupying at the hotel? I couldn't remember our joining feeling this unbelievably perfect.

Olivia was clinging to my back and had her legs wrapped around my waist, trying to pull me even closer to her. I hadn't even started moving yet Olivia and she was chanting, "oh god, oh god, oh god". It did wonders for my ego.

I looked down at her and was blown away by how beautiful she was in this still moment. I knew it wouldn't last for long, as thrilled as we both were to finally have this intimate connection back between us again. I cupped her cheek and she leaned her face into my hand with her eyes closed. "You are so fucking beautiful, and I love so much, Liv."

She opened her eyes and gave me a sly smile. "Thank you, but stop talking and move your ass, Fitz. Right now!"

Why was commanding Olivia so damn sexy? I didn't know, and in that moment, I honestly didn't care. I drove my hips in and out of her with rapid movements. Her grip on my back grew tighter and I began to feel those fingernails biting into the skin there. I had missed that glorious feeling over the past several days. It drove me to go faster, knowing she would dig them in a little harder.

"Fitz! Please...don't ever stop!" She begged.

I loved it when she begged. Sometimes it brought out the worst in me too though. Like now.

I pulled out of her and got the ugliest look from her that I had ever seen cross her face. I couldn't help it, it made me laugh. "Calm down, my little sex starved goddess. That was just one position. We have at least ten more to accomplish before this day is over. Let's try something different."

But she wasn't done whining yet. "Fiiiiiiiiitz! I was just getting into it!" It was adorable. I wished I had the patience to placate her, but right now we had other things on the agenda.

I pulled her to stand up beside the bed and kissed her once again. She threw her arms around my neck and grinded her center on mine. I pried her arms off of me and that pissed off look made another appearance on her face. "Someone is unhappy with me." I teased.

"Someone had better figure out what the hell he's doing and get going with it!" She commanded.

I spun her around, so she was facing the bed. I heard her say, "What the..." But I didn't give her a chance to finish her question.

"Get on your hands and knees. NOW!" I said in a low voice filled with authority. Two can play at being commanding. She complied very quickly, which I thoroughly enjoyed watching. I put one of my knees on the edge of the bed, firmly gripped her hips, and drove into her hard. I was deeper inside of her than I had ever been before, and it felt amazing.

Olivia gasped loudly and arched her back. "Yesssssss" she cried out.

Taking my cue from her, I began hammering in and out of her like my life depended on it. The noises that came out of her were primal. Instead of her fingernails digging into my back, they were currently gripping a wadded up portion of the sheet and her knuckles were white from the effort. "This...feels amazing!" I panted out as I continued pummeling into her.

I was feeling the build up from the past week racing to burst through, but I had to get Liv there with me. Ladies first, after all. I released my sweaty grip on one of her hips and reached around to the middle of her body and began viciously rubbing circles in the moisture there. Somehow, she opened her legs even wider and dropped her head onto a nearby pillow. "If you stop...SHIT...this time I...I...GOD FITZ!..I will fucking kill you!" She threatened loudly.

I grinned behind her and kept at my task. Whatever the lady wants, I thought to myself.

"Ohhhhhhh god that...feels so good!" Her voice vibrated from all the movement. "Mmmmm. Hurry, hurry, hurry. Please!" She was begging again, and this time I planned to give her exactly what she wanted.

Determined to bring her to completion, I rolled my hips in circles and concentrated on what my hand was doing a little more. Seconds later, she fell apart. Loudly! "FUCK ME!" She screamed.

I put my hand back on her hips and a few quick thrusts later I fell off that ledge into the beautiful abyss right behind her. Olivia was flat on her stomach breathing like a ninety year old woman deprived of oxygen. I pulled out of her and flopped down on my back beside her, trying to not to sound as bad as she did at catching my breath. It was useless. I sucked air in and pushed it out like I had just run a marathon. Unlike a marathon runner, every single part of my body felt glorious.

When I was no longer winded, I turned my head to look at Liv. Her hair was truly a mess. Her cheeks were rosy red, and her eyes were blissfully closed. She looked like a woman who had gotten laid right. "We should skip sex for a week more often. That. Was. Phenomenal!"

She opened one eye, looking at me. "No way! The past seven days were torture." She crawled over to me and laid her head down on my hammering heart. "I missed you so much. I know you were right there every day, but these moments with you make me feel so much closer to you. That's what I missed."

I ran my fingers through her disheveled hair. "I know what you mean. There's been so much shit going on lately, that escaping with you to this would have been so helpful. I know that sex serves a physical purpose, but the connection I feel with you when we are truly together just makes everything else fade away to nothing."

"Exactly." She agreed. She picked up her head and replaced it with her hand. She rested her chin on top of her hand. "I wasn't sure we were on the same page since you stopped in the middle to change positions?"

I chuckled at her and continued playing with her hair. "You begged."

She crinkled up her nose and defiantly replied, "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. You get this really cute voice when you start begging in the moment. Sometimes it makes me want to do the opposite of what you want. Sometimes it makes me absolutely driven to give you whatever it is that you want." I shrugged and grinned at her. "This time it was the former."

"So, what you're saying is you like to play games during sex?"

I wasn't entirely sure she understood what I meant. Or maybe I hadn't explained it well enough to her? I bent my arm at the elbow and propped my head up on my palm. "That's...not exactly what I meant."

"Oh, but I think it is. You just admitted to it. I'm gonna log that away for a time when I feel like playing games during sex. We'll see if you can tell where my frustration comes from?" She smiled at me.

"Waaaaaaaaait a minute, Liv. I don't think..."

"It's okay. Really. I'm going to go get dressed. And after you're cleaned up and dressed too, I'll let you take me out to breakfast." She didn't wait to hear my reply or reasoning. She stood up on wobbly legs and went into the bathroom, leaving me lying there wondering what the hell she was going to do to me the next time we were naked together.

"It's gonna be a fast breakfast, Liv. We are spending most of this day in bed together!" I called out. "Do you hear me?"

We ate our meal with huge grins on our faces and held hands on top of the table. It felt amazing to be able to have this kind of connection with her again. I didn't realize how much I had missed it. She spoon fed me some of her oatmeal and I made lewd suggestive comments about any and everything, which made her laugh.

We were just finishing up when someone walked by our table before doubling back. "Fitzgerald Grant? Is that you?"

Olivia and I looked up at the man standing beside our table and I realized who was standing there. "Sammy Coleman?"

"Sonofabitch! It is you!" He exclaimed.

I stood up and grabbed him into a hug. "What the hell are you doing in New York, man?"

"I work here now. A better question is what is Mr. California doing here?" He asked.

"I'm here on business too." I glanced at the table and saw Olivia sitting there trying to keep up with our conversation. "I'm sorry. Sammy, this is Olivia. My girlfriend. Olivia, this is Sammy. We used to work together a hundred years ago."

"Nice to meet you." Olivia said, extending her hand.

"You too." he said. "But it's Samuel now. Some of us had to grow up."

"You're gonna give growing up tips? The man who used to funnel beer faster than anyone I've ever met?"

"That was a long time ago, Fitz." He chuckled. "I'm not that guy anymore. So, where do you work now? You still with that toy company?"

"I am actually. I'm up for a big promotion too. As is Olivia. We'll find out who gets it next week sometime." I explained.

"Wow. You've been there a really long time. I'm kinda surprised they haven't grandfathered you in yet because of your age and all?"

I pointed at Sammy while looking at Olivia. "He's always been a sarcastic asshole."

He glanced at Olivia before flicking his eyes back to mine. "Listen. You should call me soon. We should catch up. I have some very interesting things to tell you about. And I don't want to intrude on your breakfast any more than I already have. I'm sorry about that, Olivia." He handed me his business card and wore a weighty expression. "Seriously, call me later on, Fitz."

"Yea, I definitely will. Good to see you again, man. Take care of yourself, Sammy." We shook hands and I watched him disappear outside and down the street before I took my seat again. "That was wild. I haven't seen him in years!"

"He seems to be a good friend." She said.

"He seemed a little bit...I dunno, weird somehow. A little too overly anxious about me calling him. Maybe I was just imagining it." I had no idea what it was that Sammy wanted to talk to me about, but he made it seem important. Important enough to mention more than once, and not in a casual way.

"There's only one way to find out what he wanted to talk to you about. You'll have to call him later." She advised.

I grinned misciviously at her. "I have a lot to do later on, and none of it has to do with Sammy."

"First, we've got to go back to the hotel and get ready for our next stop."

"Noooooo, Liv. It's finally D day! Can't we call in sick or something? Put it off until tomorrow at least?" I whined.

"We can't. If you remember, tomorrow we are going in extra late so we can be interviewed by the local news. We just have to get through this stop today and then we'll have the rest of the afternoon to catch up with each other. We can sleep late in the morning and spend the afternoon in bed. At least until we have to go back to work." She patted my hand. "You've waited seven days. You can wait a few more hours, right?"

I glanced at my watch. "We don't have to be at the store for four more hours. I'm having you at least once more when we get back. If we're a few minutes late, the world won't end."

"I was hoping you'd say that." She replied, getting up out of her chair.

Back at the hotel, I had Olivia screaming my name and it was music to my ears. I currently had her up against the wall, legs on my arms as I held her up and pushed into her with purpose. The romantic thing would happen later. It had been too damned long, and I couldn't help my relentless desire to drive myself into her. She didn't seem to mind, and the marks on my shoulders solidified that guess. "You want more, don't you, greedy girl?" I asked before latching onto her nipple and sucking hard.

"I...ohhhh god...I...I can't. It's too much." She breathed out.

I released her nipple and made a beeline for her neck, sucking and kissing on the soft scented skin there. "I think you mean it's not enough?" I whispered into her ear and pushed further inside of her. She groaned loudly and clung to me. "That's what I thought. You missed me filling you up and making you scream. Tell me how much."

She continued to make noises but said nothing.

"I don't hear anything." I sang to her.

She opened her droopy eyes halfway and looked at me. "I thought you were going to...what were your words? Wear me out? This is nice and all, but it's not anything like what you described. I think you need to step up your game?"

I stared at her in shock as I absorbed her words. Was she really telling me my performance wasn't up to par? Fuck that! I pulled out of her and set her down on her feet. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to the end of the bed. "You really are greedy. You want to be completely useless today? I'm about to make that happen."

I put a couple of pillows at the end of the bed before pushing her flat on her back as she grinned up at me with a silly smile. She was messing with me. I could see it plainly on her face. It was too bad that I didn't care. I grabbed her ankles and pulled her ass to the edge of the bed, but on top of the pillows, before opening them as wide as I could get them.

"Fitz, I was just ki..."

"I know" was all I said to her. Recalling my description of doing this to her I looked into her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "I love you, Liv." before I slammed all the way into her. It felt so good that I groaned out loud. I pulled out of her and repeated the motion.

"Shit! I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." She began.

I thrust hard into her again, cutting off her words. "You wanted to be worn out. I don't appreciate bad performance reviews since..." I pushed back into her once again. "...Since I'm giving you everything. And I do mean everything I've got. But you're right." I pulled out and pushed myself all the way back in. "This is much much better. Don't you agree?"

She was breathing hard and couldn't talk even if she tried. I had her right where I wanted her. Fucked up!

"No? Maybe we should speed things up some? Maybe that will get your approval?" I don't know where the wild thrusting motion came from, but I was a man possessed. I rammed in and out of her with deep calculated quick strokes.

"Ohhhhh right there! Yes, yes, yes! This is much much better." She panted out.

Olivia had turned into a wild woman right before my eyes. We were definitely taking a few days off again in the future. I kept up the pace as she kept encouraging me. "Harder! Faster! More!"

I felt her walls clench and knew she was right there. This time I wasn't giving her time to relax one she exploded. I let go of one ankle and moved my index finger to the center of her thighs and began to move it furiously up and down across her bundle of nerves. Seconds later, she sobbed out my name and tried to close her legs to deal with the aftershocks. Instead, my hand went back to her ankle and I held her legs wide open and continued jackhammering away.

I felt her muscles clenching around me as her orgasm continued to rip through her body. "Please!" She begged. "Give me a minute." I was way past that and swiveled my hips as I drove into her wildly.

"Fitz!" She screamed.

That was all it took. I closed my eyes, groaned, and grunted as I felt my own release leave my body. As soon as I could move again, I pulled out of her and warned her in a serious tone, "Don't. Move!"

I went into the bathroom and pulled the condom off, throwing it into the trashcan. I hurriedly made my way back to where she still lay on the bed with her legs bent and her feet planted on the mattress. I grabbed her ankles once again and threw them over my shoulder as I squatted in front of her core and worked her with my tongue. Bad performance review, my ass! If she could talk to the news crew after all the screaming I made her do before we left for work, I'd be surprised.


	24. Sleepless in New York

Sleepless in New York

 **Fitz's POV**

It took a lot of coaxing, but eventually Olivia got out of the hotel bed and got herself ready to go to work with me. It was very entertaining to watch this strong independent driven woman lag around like an obstinate child, constantly whining about wanting to stay in bed. It was almost like she had forgotten how much work we put in when I had her there?

She was finishing up her make up when I stepped out into the hall to call Sammy. His odd demeanor at breakfast had been on my mind ever since he had left us, and I wanted to know what he wanted to talk about. Waiting until this evening was not going to happen. After three rings, it went to voice mail. I had a brief internal conversation with myself about leaving a voice mail while his voice droned on about leaving a message. Deciding it was best for him to know that I had made an attempt to get in touch with him, I started speaking after the tone.  
 _Samuel, it's Fitzgerald Grant. I had a minute and wanted to talk about what you alluded to at breakfast this morning. I'll be fairly busy until this evening, but I'll try to call you again after I'm settled into my hotel room. Maybe we can meet up for a drink in the hotel bar later? Talk to you soon_.

While leaving a message did nothing for the strange feeling in my gut, I felt some relief that he knew I had tried to contact him. Again, I wondered what had been on his mind earlier, but came up empty. He had mentioned work when we spoke. Both his and mine. I could only speculate if that had anything to do with what he wanted to talk about.

Before I could worry about it any further, the door opened, and Olivia stepped out. She was wearing an emerald green dress that had a thin black belt at the waist. It looked pretty simple, but there was something sexy about it, without trying to be. I didn't know the first thing about women's fashion, but I bet it would be fun to take it off of her? Especially if she was left standing in her unmentionables and those black sky high heels she insisted on wearing every day. I felt a familiar stirring below my own belt at the thought of it.

Olivia must have sensed the things I was thinking, because she simply said, "no" before walking away.

That was just fine by me, and I took the opportunity to watch her ass as she led the way to the elevators. I couldn't wait to get her naked again and get my hands on that ass. She had stopped walking and was shifting her weight from one foot to the other in front of the closed elevator doors, as I stared openly at her from behind. Thoughts were running through my head that I couldn't stop and wasn't interested in stopping even if I was inclined to do so.

"You're ridiculous. You know that, right?" She said.

I lifted my head to find her looking over her shoulder at me. I gave her my best smile, but I think she was too tired to care at this point. "You're the one who took the lead. I'm just admiring the view." I reached down and began rubbing the view in question until she swatted my hand away and stepped onto the elevator. When the doors closed, and I noticed we were the only ones inside, I looked over at her with a huge grin on my face. "Do you need me to get you a wheelchair?"

She scowled at me. "Why would I need a wheelchair, Fitz?"

"Based on the improvements I made from your recent performance review, you look like you're having a hard time walking." I glanced up at the digital numbers, knowing I would burst into laughter if I looked at her probably appalled face.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw her look down at her feet. "It's...these shoes. They are new, and I haven't had a chance to break them in yet."

"You sure?" I asked, finally meeting her gaze. "I could probably get one from the hotel for the day."

She turned to stand directly in front of me and put her hand on my chest. "I'm a big girl. When I've had enough, I'll tell you. Until then, you just keep bringing all you have. Got it?"

I couldn't stop the growl that escaped my throat. I pushed her up against the wall of the elevator and ravaged her mouth. Apparently, she could take some more now? Polished ready to kick ass at work Olivia opened her mouth while her greedy hands groped the hell out of me. I couldn't wait for this day to be over. I'd tie her to the bed if I had to.

"Fitz!" she mumbled. "You'll ruin my make up."

"Fix it in the car." I ordered and eagerly dipped my head to her neck. I had just started sucking the skin there when she pushed me away and took a deep breath.

"No, no, no, no."

I smiled wickedly at her and took a step closer.

She pointed a tiny brown finger in my face and said, "do not start something you don't have time to finish."

I took another step towards her.

"I mean it, Fitz! Don't!"

"Are you saying you've had enough?" I challenged with a grin.

"I'm saying stay away from me until we get back here this evening. And then...you'd better do a lot more than kiss and grope me like a teenager on prom night."

The elevator dinged, and she smoothed her dress down and stepped out once the doors opened. I was riveted in place, eyes stuck on that fantastic ass of hers, before shouting out for everyone to hear, "I got laid on prom night, Liv!" Olivia kept walking and never turned around. I grinned all the way to the car.

When we arrived at the store we were slotted to visit, I parked the car several spaces away from the front door. I turned off the car and walked around, opening the passenger door for Olivia. After closing the door, she stood in place instead of heading inside. "What's the matter?" I asked.

"Nothing. You lead the way this time."

I chuckled and said, "you want to check out my ass, huh?" She opened her mouth to argue, I'm sure, but I nodded at her and added, "I don't mind. Take a good look."

We were just about to step inside the store when my phone began to chime, alerting me to an incoming call. I pulled it from my dress pants and looked at the face of it. Unknown caller. I started to put it back into my pocket, but wondered if it could be Samuel? Olivia flicked her eyes up at me and must have read something on my face. "Go ahead and take it. I'll wait for you inside."

"Thanks. I'll be right in." I replied. I slid my finger across the screen and put the device to my ear. "Hello?"

"Fitz! I'm so glad I caught you."

"Samuel. Great timing. I was just about to walk into a store I'm visiting with Olivia. You've got about three minutes, my friend."

"I only need two. I got your voice mail and wanted to tell you that meeting for drinks tonight is a great idea. I have some interesting things to discuss with you."

"Can you give me a hint as to what this is all about?" I asked. He was being very cagey, and it didn't sit well with me.

"I'd like to, but I only have a minute left. I'm heading into a meeting with a big client. Where are you staying?"

I rattled off the name of the hotel.

"Are you available to meet me there for drinks at...say seven o'clock tonight?"

"Sure, but you're buying. You've kept me in suspense long enough. The least you could do is provide some sort of relief. Alcohol will work." I chuckled. I wasn't really a big drinker, but the thought of catching up with an old friend seemed like a decent way of winding down the day.

"I hate to cut this short, Fitz but I really do have to go. I'll see you tonight at seven."

"See you then." I ended the call and slid the phone back into my pocket after putting it on mute. Instead of answering any questions, Samuel had created countless others. No matter what he had to say, or how important it was, I wouldn't be staying at the hotel bar with him for very long. Olivia and I were still a long way from being completely caught up ourselves. And that was my top priority. At least I'd have some answers tonight, I told myself as I opened the door and walked inside.

Olivia was looking around inside the store and scribbling down notes. She looked up when she heard the door open. Realizing it was me, she smiled and asked, "is everything okay?"

"Yup. It was Samuel. We're going to meet in the hotel bar at seven for drinks. And so he can stop being so mysterious. I'm sorry I made us fall behind on the schedule."

"It's fine actually. This store is my equivalent to your Amelia McConnell one."

"The manager here has a crush on you?" I asked jokingly.

"Oh, he definitely does." She said grinning at me. "But that's not what I was referring to. This is my best store, run by my best manager, who kicks ass in every way. His quarterly numbers are high, inventory numbers are low, and his people adore him. It's kind of unfair that he's as gifted at work as he is.

"That's impressive. I'm looking forward to meeting this magical man who has good taste in women." I said. "But he'd better keep his distance."

"You're cute when you're jealous." She said laughing at me.

"I don't recall any laughter coming out of you in the car when you declared that Amelia had a thing for me?" I pointed out.

Olivia grinned at me. "You'll understand when you meet him. He's a one in a million. Even you will be won over."

"We'll see about that." I muttered, taking a moment to look around the place myself. The truth was the store did in fact look pristine. Every item on the shelves had been faced to perfection, colorful signs were hung displaying sale or clearance prices, endcaps had beautiful arrangements of the new must have toys, and the floors were gleaming. Amelia would both love and be a tad jealous of this place, and I wondered if this manager was somehow distantly related to her?

A man shrieked giddily from a distance and I whipped my head in the direction the noise had come from. The man wore glasses, black dress pants, a crisp white dress shirt, and a bright red tie. His hair was messy but appeared to be styled that way on purpose and I felt that if I touched it, it would prick my finger, bringing blood. He was on the short side. Well, a good deal shorter than me anyways.

"Olivia Carolyn Pope! In the flesh!" He excitedly proclaimed as he made his way towards us. He gathered Olivia up in a hug as I stood beside her and watched. He held both of her hands and asked, "Ohmygod, how have you been?"

For some reason, his voice was much deeper than I anticipated. The two of them caught up over the next few minutes and I found myself grinning and not knowing why. He held her out at arm's length and said, "you're too thin. I mean, you always look flawless, but too thin is not good. Honey, you've got to eat something."

Olivia giggled and said, "I'm just getting over a bout of food poisoning and haven't much of an appetite lately."

"Ohmygod! Food poisoning? Really?" He asked as he covered his shocked expression with his hands. "You poor thing."

"But now that I'm feeling more like myself, food is tasting better and I'm getting less nervous about eating it when we go out." She explained.

That was the point that my existence came into question. "We?" The man flicked his eyes over at me with great interest. "Are you part of the 'we'? Because if you aren't part of her we, you could definitely be part of mine!" He took a moment to check me out as I stood there unsure of what to do or say.

"James!" Olivia chided with a giggle. She turned to me and added, "I'm so sorry, Fitz. We've been so busy catching up with each other, I've been completely rude and haven't introduced the two of you. Fitz, this is James Novack. He's the fabulous manager of this store and was a friend of mine before he was hired with the company. James, this is Fitzgerald Grant. He's the male version of Olivia Pope, from California."

James stuck out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Fitzgerald."

"Nice to meet you too." I said, shaking his hand. "Please. Call me Fitz."

"What does Olivia call you?" He asked with a grin. "I'm definitely getting a vibe here between the two of you."

I grinned back at him and opened my mouth to give a sarcastic answer, but Olivia beat me to it. "Mostly, I call him a pain in the ass."

"I bet you do." He said, as his eyes wandered down my body. I couldn't help but laugh at his remark and instantly like the man.

"Ohhhkay, let's walk the store. Shall we?" Olivia said, leaving to follow her hasty trail.

Once we were done doing our thing in the store, James walked us to the front door and made us promise to go to dinner with him before I returned back to California. I grinned at him, shaking his hand and accepted his offer with enthusiasm. "I have a manager back home who you would really hit it off with. She is phenomenal at her job and puts everything into it, just like you do. Now that we are all one big happily merged family, I think the two of you should meet each other."

"Thank you for the compliment, but I don't date within my family. And I definitely don't date females. They are too much trouble to keep up with."

I glanced over at Olivia as a chuckle escaped my lips. "You are a wise man, James." Olivia squinted her eyes at me and I quickly cleared my throat. "That being said, I only meant that the two of you could learn a lot from each other as well as share what you know with other managers. Are you planning to attend the manager's retreat?"

James looked at Olivia questioningly. "I don't know. Am I planning to attend the manager's retreat?"

"It's in California, and I don't know if it's really in the new budget to send one of our managers..."

"Phenomenal manager" James inserted.

Again, Olivia turned her squinted eyes my way. "Phenomenal manager. To California for a retreat."

"I have some pull there since my boss is the keynote speaker. I could put in a good word for him, Liv. Besides, the company has plenty of money now that we have merged. I could work it out. Unless you don't want him to go?"

"Is that it? You don't want me to go? Can't bear the thought of me being gone for..." James turned to me and asked, "how long is this retreat, Fitz?"

"Just a few days." I replied. "I think you would get a lot out of it, but more importantly, you could network with other managers. It's a really great opportunity and one I think you would benefit from."

James turned to Olivia with a huge grin. "Sounds fun. And a trip to California would be great. It would be nice to go."

Olivia flicked an impatient glance at me and I suspected that there would be more to this discussion later on. She gave James a brilliant smile and said, "I'll take care of it. If anyone deserves it, it's you James."

"Thank you. I'll look for the confirmation email." James looked out the windowed door and saw the news crew outside. "Friends of yours?"

I nodded, looking outside too. "We'll be on the local news tonight talking about the merger between our companies. We spoke to a local crew in California. It was kinda fun and we killed it."

He reached over and straightened Olivia's necklace for her. "Okay, well, have fun with that. I'll be sure to watch after I get home and see how it goes. It was great to meet you, Fitz. Liv? Take care of yourself and don't be a stranger. Dinner soon! I'm going to annoy you about it until it happens."

"Goodbye, James." Olivia sung as we walked outside.

"That was fun. I like him. James seems to be a straight shooter and is really amazing at his job. Surprisingly, I'm completely fine with his crush on you too." I said with a grin.

Olivia bumped her shoulder against mine as we walked towards the news crew that were standing around and checking wires. "You ready to do this?"

"Piece of cake." I said. This was one of the easier aspects of the day. My mind kept floating to the meeting later with Samuel and what it could be about. I was getting more eager to hear what he had to say and was ready to get it over with, so I wouldn't have to guess anymore. But for now, I cleared it from my mind and concentrated on the task at hand. Corporate wanted a strong united front of Olivia and I and we had to deliver the magic. Good thing we were good at that.

Back at the hotel, I dropped Olivia off at the elevator and made my way to the bar. I was early, and the bar was only doing a moderate business at this hour, so I took a moment and chose a place to sit. I sat down in a plush chair across from an empty one in front of a large window. A waitress stopped by a few moments later and asked what I'd like to drink. I ordered a scotch, neat, and settled back into my chair to wait. Five minutes later, Samuel walked in.

"Fitz!" He exclaimed, shaking my hand enthusiastically. "How are ya?"

"Doing fine. How about you?" I hated pleasantries, but knew in situations like this, they were necessary.

"It's been a long day." He grimaced. The same waitress came by and asked him what he'd like to drink, and Samuel ordered whiskey.

"So, what's this all about? You've been holding your cards close to the vest and I'm intrigued as to what's on your mind." I explained.

"You've thought about it a lot, haven't you?" He asked with a grin.

"I have," I admitted.

"You've been with Toy Land for quite some time now. Don't you find it strange that they are just now dangling this promotion in front of you?" He asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"Actually, I don't. I've worked my way up the corporate ladder and regional vice president is the natural next step." I had no idea where this was coming from?

"It would have been the natural next step for you three or four years ago. Why are they offering it to you now?" He held his palms out face up as he asked the question.

I sat there silently, deciding that Samuel wasn't really interested in my explanation to his question. He wanted to tell me himself. So I said, "you tell me."

"I did some digging recently and I discovered that you were, in fact, due for that promotion three years ago but were not considered for it because they were happy with you where you were." He gave me a moment to absorb that information, as he settled back into his chair and a small smile played at the edges of his mouth.

"This is the first I've heard of that. How in the hell did you get that information?" I sputtered.

"It doesn't matter. The fact is you are a great regional manager. Extraordinary even. The moment your company merged with The Toy Box, both companies saw an opportunity to create this rat race between you and Olivia for the promotion. They are using you, my friend."

There was no way in hell this was true. He wasn't leaving here until he told me his source of information. "Wait. What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you could have easily had this job years ago. You're qualified, brilliant at your job, personable, talented, and creative. And you have put in the time needed to be thought of for it. The question you need to be asking yourself is, why haven't they offered it to you before now?"

"The current RVP is retiring, and his position needs to be filled."

"Wrong! That old coot was ready to retire last year, but the company kept him around by giving him raises and keeping him comfortable in his huge office. The real reason is they saw this merger coming and saw two viable candidates for the position. So, they held him off until now, so they could use you and Olivia to create media buzz about the merger between your companies. It's all about politics, Fitz." Samuel explained.

My mind was reeling. If what he was saying was true, my company had basically screwed me and then used me. A sudden thought flew through my head. "Does her boss know all of this?"

He gave me an are-you-kidding face. "Of course, he knew. He helped orchestrate it. Along with your good friend Abby and a few other higher ups in both companies."

That explained a lot. Like Cyrus' anger at discovering that Olivia and I were dating. I bet that wasn't part of the plan? Abby. Well, that didn't surprise me much. Abby was who she was. It stung a little, knowing she had acted like she was on my side the entire time. "Have they already chosen who has the promotion?"

"That I don't know. I have my suspicions, but no facts yet." He said, taking a sip. "The reason I wanted to meet with you was to tell you that I have a place for you in my company."

I opened my mouth to shut this part of the conversation down immediately.

"Just listen for a minute, Fitz. I'm offering you a job as a regional vice president with all the perks and twenty percent more pay than you currently have with your company. It's not because you're my friend. It's because before I started working for myself, I was in a somewhat similar situation as you are now. When someone shined a light on what was going on, I got the hell out and never looked back. I'm simply offering you the same opportunity. Think about it."

It was a lot to take in. A lot to think about too. "I don't think I can work for a friend though. No offense. I wouldn't want to go to work every day and feel like I owed you anything more than a hard day's work."

Samuel held his palms out in my direction. "I'm not interested in being your puppet master. That's not what this is about. It's about seeing a friend in a no win situation and wanting to help. Wanting to see him thrive in a job that he already does amazingly well."

I threw back the rest of my drink. "I'll definitely think about it. They are announcing the promotion recipient at the end of next week. Can you give me until Monday morning?"

"I can do that. I'm sorry to lay this all out on you like this. But what they are doing is not the way business should be done. Do you really want to work for a company with discrepancies in ethical behavior with their senior employees? Of course, you can't tell any of this to Olivia. I...know how close the two of you have gotten."

Samuel seemed like a man who knew a lot of things. "One question. Where is this job based?" I asked, already knowing the answer, but needing to hear him say it.

"Here in New York. I know it's not an ideal situation, knowing you are rooted on the West Coast. But it's what I'm offering. And it's a damned good offer at that. Promise me that you'll really think about it."

It was probably all I was going to think about from now until Monday. It would definitely be difficult to keep all of this from Olivia, but I knew I had no choice in the matter. Still, it didn't sit well to keep secrets from her. I wished I knew which one of us would get the promotion. It would make leaving the company a lot easier if I knew they had planned to give it to Liv. She deserved it, but then so did I. It was a lot to think about and continue living life as if this new information hadn't been shared. I didn't know if I was that good of an actor? We stood up, shook hands, and I promised to call him by the end of the day on Monday before we each went our own ways.

 **Olivia's POV**  
Naturally the news piece went amazingly well. Fitz and I had an unspoken chemistry that just sort of flowed naturally. We finished each other's sentences and chuckled together whenever something funny was said. It was as easy as having a conversation with a good friend. Once the mics and cameras were turned off the on scene reporter commented on how well it went too. She thanked us, and the three of them drove off in their company van.

"Is it too early for dinner? I'm starving." I whined.

"Cookies and punch wearing off already?" Fitz asked.

"They wore off ten minutes after I ate them. I need real food. Please say you're ready for dinner?" In truth, I was hungry, but I also wanted some time with Fitz before he met up with Samuel for drinks. I was curious as to what was in his head. What he thought the meeting was all about. I had my own opinions but was smart enough not to voice them.

Fitz put his arm around me as we walked to the rental car. "Dinner sounds good. And when I get back from drinks with Samuel, it'll be time for dessert." He said with a grin.

My phone pinged, and I reached for it from inside my bag. "It's a text from James." I stated. I opened the message and read it to myself. Shock ran through my body and I stepped a few feet from Fitz's arm and typed a reply.

"Liv? What's the matter?" He asked.

I finished the text, sent it, and continued walking with a few feet in between us.

He held his arm out for me to step into, but I hissed at him. "Put your arm down!"

As we got closer and closer to the car, I watched him drop his arm and say, "What the hell was that all about?"

"James just text me."

Fitz opened my car door and waited until I got inside. He held the door open as I reached for my seatbelt, but was leaning down looking at me when he said, "And?"

I huffed out a breath. "You want to hear what it says? Is that it?"

"It'd be nice, so I could understand what has you all touchy and pissed off" he said.

"Fine." I opened my phone as he shut the door and made his way around the front of the car and got in the driver's seat. "It says, 'your pain in the ass sure looks comfortable with his arm around you right now.'"

He grinned at me and started the car. "What's wrong with that?"

"Fitz! He's one of my managers. He should not know who I am or am not dating just from looking out the window. It's weird."

"Liv, we've already jumped through the necessary hoops so that everyone who needs to know about our relationship knows. I don't see why it's a big deal that James knows? Who is he gonna tell exactly?"

"That's not the point."

"The point is that you like to keep your personal life personal. I know. I get that. But in the grand scheme of things, it's nowhere near the worst thing that people could find out about us."

"Can we just go to dinner please?" I asked.

"Sure we can. Kiss me first."

"I'm not kissing you here!" I exclaimed. "Anyone could see. Hell, James is probably staring out the window of his office looking at us right now."

"Then let's give him something to look at." Fitz said with a grin.

"Let's go." I was not going to get sucked into this cutesy game with him.

"Please? A kiss for courage?" He asked. "Just one."

He knew I said yes to that request every time. "I hate you." I muttered as I leaned over towards him. By the time I touched my lips to his, I was grinning too. It was just a peck, but I had to admit that I felt a lot better having gave it. It made me want more truth be told.

I tried to deepen the kiss, but Fitz pulled away and said, "Easy, pervert. You'll get more later."

"I'd better." I threatened. Fitz put the car in drive and slowly pulled out of the parking lot. My phone dinger and I knew without looking who it was. I glanced at my phone anyways and saw James' name with a text that said:  
 _That was adorable. If you ever get sick of him, give him my number._  
I giggled and locked my phone, throwing it into my purse as I grabbed onto Fitz's hand.

Dinner was nice. The two of us enjoyed easy conversation and excellent food. We discussed all manner of things until I carefully broached the topic of Samuel and Fitz's meeting at the hotel bar. He claimed he had no idea what it was that Samuel wanted and he voiced his concern over his friend's cloak and dagger act instead of coming out and saying what was on his mind. The fact that Fitz had concerns was enough for me to be concerned as well. When the conversation found its way to sex and the very creative things we planned to do to each other, I knew it was time for us to leave.

We reached the hotel with ten minutes to spare. Fitz held my hand as he walked me to the elevators. When we got there, he leaned down and kissed me. A hungry kiss full of threats as well as promises of what was to come. Breathlessly, I pulled away from him and looked up into his sparkling blue eyes. "Don't be late." I said as I stepped into the elevator and pushed the number for our floor.

"Sleep is not happening tonight." His eyes stayed on mine until the doors were closed, sending a shiver up my spine.

I let myself into our shared room and took advantage of the quiet by getting my stuff packed up for the next leg of the trip. I left out an outfit to wear tomorrow as well as my toiletries but everything else had to be ready to go by check out time. I got the task done in no time and wondered what I should do with the rest of my time?

I reached for my phone inside my bag for no reason other than to have it nearby. I stared at my bag for a second and decided to take the plunge. I had to find the business card that had been given to me, but once I did I dialed the number listed on it as I glanced at my watch. It was only four o'clock in California. She'd still be at the office.

She answered on the second ring. "Abby Wheelan."

"Abby! Hi. How are you?" I gushed. "It's Olivia."

"Olivia! How have you been? Are you happy to finally be back in New York again?"

"It feels good to be home. I didn't realize how much I missed it until we landed. How have you been?"

"I'm fine. Everything is going great. We're kind of missing Fitz around here, but I'm sure he's being kept busy there and kicking ass. That's kind of what he does." Abby chirped. "Is everything going okay between the two of you?"

"Uhhh, yea. Why wouldn't it be? He's great. A wonderful boyfriend. Very sweet and thoughtful." I paused and listened to the silence that hung on the line. "You weren't talking about that were you?"

"Noooooo. I was referring to your working relationship. I never, and I do mean ever, want to hear about your personal relationship with Fitzgerald Grant. I'm aware of it. I wish I wasn't, but I am. And that's all I really need to know about it. I'm happy to hear alls well for both of you, but let's not speak of it again."

"Sorry about the misunderstanding, Abby. I'm just sitting here in my hotel room alone and thought a minute of girl talk would be nice."

"Why did you think that? I don't do girl talk. Besides, where is Fitz?" She asked.

"He had a last minute impromptu meeting tonight. He should be back in a little while."

"A meeting with a client? He doesn't know anyone in New York?"

I could hear the question in her voice. There might have been a little aggravation too knowing she wasn't privy to his schedule. "He ran into an old friend this morning at breakfast. They wanted to meet for drinks to catch up. It's nothing, really."

"Do you know who this old friend was?" She was trying to sound casual but failing.

"Some guy named Sammy. He goes by Samuel now." I began.

"Please don't tell me his last name is Coleman." Abby said quietly.

"Yea! That's him. Samuel Coleman. How did you know?" I asked.

"Wild guess. Look, Stephen is calling me, so I've got to run. We'll talk soon. Bye, Olivia."

"Okay. Bye." But she had already ended the call. That was weird as hell. Now I wanted to know what the big deal was about Samuel Coleman. She was obviously trying to hide something from me. I'd try to get it from Fitz when he got back. I threw my phone back into my bag and turned on the television.

About an hour later, he let himself into the room. "I'm going to jump into the shower real quick" he said before disappearing into the tiny room.

I listened to the shower from my spot on the large bed and tried to think of a way to broach the subject of Samuel to Fitz. By the time he came out of the bathroom, I had decided on the direct approach. I looked up to ask him what Samuel wanted, but I found him standing there wearing nothing, but a white towel wrapped low on his waist. He hadn't even taken the time to dry off good. I watched as water rivulets ran down his sculpted chest. I may or may not have moaned a little bit.

"You okay?" He asked without looking up.

I continued to eye his deliciously sinful body. "MmmmHmmm."

Finally, he brought his gaze to mine. "You sure? Cause you're biting your lip and eye fucking me pretty hard from over there."

"Then come over here and get the real thing." I coaxed. I was in a trance watching him come towards me. I wished like hell that towel would fall off those perfectly tapered hips of his. He had just reached me when his cell phone rang. He turned to look for it, but I said, "uh uh. Let it ring."

"I can't, Liv. It could be Stephen. Or Abby. Or Samuel." he replied, finding the device in his pants pocket.

Samuel! I wanted to ask Fitz about his old friend when he stole my concentration with his towel covered naked body.

"It's Stephen and I can't exactly go out into the hall like this. If I need some privacy, I'm going to step into the bathroom, okay?" He touched the face of the phone and turned on the charm saying, "Stephen! How are ya?"

I sat patiently waiting for the call to end. It kept going on and on with Fitz saying yea or uh huh every few seconds. It wasn't a very enthralling conversation from this end of things. I knew he had to talk to his boss, but I was getting bored and wanted to get back on the sexy train. An idea came to me and I decided to go with it.

I stood up and revealed that I was wearing one of his plain white t shirts. He stopped talking mid sentence while his eyes were glued to me. "Everything okay?" I asked pleasantly.

He nodded mutely.

"You really should call him back tomorrow. It's time for us to go to bed, if you know what I mean?"

He muted the call and whispered, "It's my boss, Liv. You know I can't just hang up on him!"

"I suppose you can't. Oh well." I reached for the edge of my top and pulled it up over my head, throwing it at his stupefied face.

Fitz hit the mute button again and scowled at me while eyeing my bare upper half. "What the hell has gotten into you, Olivia?"

"Not you, that's for sure. I'm going to take a shower." I reached behind my back and unclasped my bra, dropping in on the hotel room floor and kept walking.

There was only one thing to do. Fitz unmuted the call once again and said, "Sorry, Stephen. We'll have to talk about this tomorrow. I gotta go. Somethings come up." He ended the call and dashed toward me.

I was giggling and running toward the bathroom.

He grabbed me by the waist and carried me back to the bed I had just got off of. Fitz sat down on the edge of the bed, setting me on his lap. He tried keeping his hands off the skin I had willingly exposed to him, but it was in vain. He started off well enough. "You have something to say to me?"

My blood was pumping, and my heart was hammering. I had just effectively got Fitz off the phone with his boss and got a seat on his lap. I even got carried halfway. And all it took was taking off a few layers of clothing. I'd have to remember that one. I knew he was beyond primed for sex, just as I was. But instead, I put on a bored face and answered him in a monotone voice. "No, not really."

Fitz had to know I was messing with him. "We may not have been dating for very long, but I know most of your quirks. I asked what had gotten into you. And what did you say?"

You'd have to be blind not to see that my veins were practically dancing the blood through my body. I was a live wire. I wanted it bad and he was going to give it to me. I shrugged as if I didn't care. "I said, not you. So what?"

He must have thought he needed to prime my pump so to speak. He brought his hands up and began rolling my nipples between his large fingers. He watched as I squinted my eyes, opened my mouth slightly, and began to breathe heavy. His fingers kept at their work and he leaned towards my ear. "Would you like for me to get inside you now, Miss Pope?"

My fingers came around his neck and played in his growing curls as my head fell back and I enjoyed feeling his hands on my body. He knew exactly what to do to me and how to do it. He really was the master of my body. He knew it better than I knew it myself. I nodded mutely.

I was so caught up in the things I was feeling that I had gone lazy on him, and Fitz wasn't having that. I couldn't mess with him and be lazy. That was the same as having your cake and eating it too, which is exactly what he seemed to have planned to do to my body. Obviously, he was ready to start now. "Tell me what you want, Liv" before he dropped a hand and replaced it with his hot mouth, sucking hard on my stiff bud.

"Ohhhh god!" I cried out as I arched my back and clung to him. I had the feeling, somewhere in the back of my brain, that I was supposed to talk to him about something. Or someone. But I had no idea what or who it was right now. And I honestly didn't care either. This was what was of the utmost importance at the moment.

Fitz stood up, bringing me with him before he slowly dragged me down the front of his chest until I landed on my feet in front of him. I had felt that bulge at his center. He was hard as iron. He kissed the tip of my nose before walking away from me. I wondered where he was going until I saw him reach into his bag for a foil packet. He tugged the tucked corner of the towel and I giddily watched it fall to the floor before my eyes went back to my hard prize. I licked my lips, knowing my turn was coming to get my mouth on his skin. We weren't going to sleep until I had a nice long taste. He quickly slid the condom on with his darkened eyes on mine.

He picked me up and carried me to the padded seat in front of the large window in our room. Fitz set me down on my feet and I noticed his eyes were drawn to the only thing I was wearing. Pretty little panties. He squatted in front of me to get a closer look. They were definitely new. A pair he had never seen before. They were pale blue. The front was nothing but a lace triangle with pale blue pieces of material that ran over my hips. Fitz put his hands on my hips and turned me around, so he could get a better look at the back.

I grinned as I was turned around and held onto his shoulder. I needed to touch him. It was obvious he was fascinated with my latest purchase. He hadn't even noticed that I was watching him. I was going to go back to that store and buy a pair in every color if this was going to be his reaction!

Fitz gingerly reached a hand up and touched the blue lace that covered my ass. He pressed his lips to my hip and then suddenly, without warning, he ripped the thin lace and roughly pulled them to the floor.

"Fitz!" I exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing? Those were new! And expensive!"

He looked up at me with a mischievous grin. "Oh, so you're talking to me now?" He stood up and pulled me to him for an equally rough kiss. It was full of the anxious need he was filled with and it left me feeling slightly dizzy. He pulled away from me and smacked my ass. "You need to buy some more of them soon. They are sexy as hell on you."

Fitz sat down and pulled me onto his lap, straddling him. It was dark outside, and the lights were off in the room, so I knew no one would be able to see us. I gave him a small smile and wasted no time impaling myself on him. "Fuuuuuuuuck, that feels so good, Liv."

I tilted my head to the left and kissed him, giving myself a minute to adjust to his impressive length. I felt his hands balled up in my hair and he gave it a sharp tug, jerking my head back and breaking the kiss. "I want you to ride me. Hard." He commanded as he let go of my hair and leaned back against the glass.

I planted my feet on either side of his legs. Bracing my hands behind me on top of his thick thighs and using my feet I pushed myself up slowly, drawing all but the tip of his erect member out of my body. And then I sank down slowly until all of him disappeared again. I was enjoying myself at this slower pace, but waited for his stern warning that I knew was coming any...

"I said I wanted you to ride me hard. Do you need me to take over and show you how it's done?"

His threatening voice was such a turn on to me, but I knew that my time torturing him was now up. I leaned into his ear and whispered, "you're sexy when you think you're in control." He snapped his head back to look at me and that was when I grabbed onto his shoulders and began to bounce up and down on him wildly. His hands quickly went to my ass and he kneaded the skin there as satisfied noises came from his mouth.

"Keep...keep going. D-don't stop." he panted out.

And that was the moment I realized what's good for the goose is good for the gander. I stopped. And then detached from him completely.

"Olivia!" He exclaimed angrily.

I smiled at him. "It's not so much fun when someone does that to a person, huh? Maybe next time you'll think twice before doing it to me!" I started walking away from him.

"Get your teasing ass back over here!" He said in a low voice. I grabbed a chair pushed up to the small table by the back and dragged it towards him, setting it in front of his feet. He looked at the chair in disgust. "What the hell do you want me to do with that?"

"Put your feet in it. Now!" I directed. He complied but still wasn't seeing the big picture. I crawled up on his lap, facing away from him while he held onto my hips and placed me back onto him. "Ohhhhh god. That is so much better." I moaned loudly.

He was a quick study and immediately realized that he had easier access to the things he enjoyed playing with in this position. "You're a fucking genius" he breathed out and reached a hand around to lazily stroke my bundle of nerves and his head dipped into my neck.

It wasn't long before I couldn't take any more. I was on the brink of losing it. Fitz had already picked up on that because his finger moved quicker on my center. Moments later, I felt my body tighten, my breathing become shallower, and my legs turn to jello, as I chanted, "yes, yes, yes." His baritone voice encouraged me to let go, giving me no other choice.

He didn't give me a second to come down from the height of the orgasm. He gripped my hips like a vice and lifted and lowered me onto him in a rapid precise rhythm. I was still trying to get some semblance of a regular heartbeat instead of the jackhammering in my chest, as he lifted and lowered me to take him to the same amazing height. Suddenly, he grunted and stilled as I felt him quivering beneath me.

I was dizzy, but I stood up on wobbly legs and moved the chair out of the way. I needed a moment to get myself together after that creative activity, but Fitz strode past me and went into the bathroom. I heard the shower come on and then I heard him say from inside, "Let's take a shower."

"You just took a shower." I reminded him as I started walking that way.

"I'm still feeling pretty dirty." He said seductively.

That was enough for me. I pulled back the shower curtain and watched him lather his body up with soap and then rinse it all off. I giggled and stepped under the spray, pulling him under with me and fusing our lips together once again in a hungry kiss, before I abruptly ended it, sank to my knees, eagerly took him into my mouth, and sucked him as if my life depended on it.

Ten minutes later, I dragged him out of the shower and back into bed where we spent a sleepless night covering several other positions, and a few I thought of as well.


	25. Truth Talk

Truth Talk

 **Olivia's POV**

We requested a late check out from the hotel, so we could sleep late. Not much sleep was had, but the little we did get was wonderful. When we had absolutely no choice but to get up, both Fitz and I got ourselves ready and went to the front desk downstairs. We turned in our key cards and left, heading for the town where our next stop was located.

We were both unusually quiet in the car and I didn't want to be the one who broke the silence. I had all manner of things on my own mind to think about in the silence. Like the fact that I had been awarded the promotion, according to Cyrus. I still wasn't sure if I could trust his word one hundred percent, but I wanted to. Desperately.

Then there was the matter of Fitz not knowing that I had been chosen as the recipient of the promotion. I had been asked to keep it to myself until the announcement came down at the end of next week. Originally, I had no intentions of telling him anything about it. But now I was second guessing that idea. On one hand, I knew that if I did I would have to explain how I had come to learn the information and why I didn't tell him sooner. On the other hand, I hated keeping this from him. It affected his future too and I felt like he had a right to know about it. It was already a messy situation which would only be made worse if I came clean. The guilt I felt for not telling him was intense though.

I still wondered what in the hell all this secrecy was about concerning Samuel? It seemed that everyone knew who he was, or what he was up to except for me. I glanced over at Fitz, who was concentrating on the road with a tense look on his own face. He must have sensed that I was looking at him because he glanced over in my direction and gave me a smile. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yea, fine." I said, smiling back. But I wasn't fine. I had a secret I was intentionally keeping from him. It wasn't how a normal relationship worked. Secrets in a relationship as solid as the one Fitz and I had could be deadly. It could destroy everything. Especially a secret as huge as the one I was keeping from him. I glanced back over at him and realized that I didn't want anything to come in between what the two of us had. It wasn't worth it. Nothing was more valuable than my feelings for him and his for me. I had to tell him what I knew. "Fitz, I need to talk to..." I began.

His phone chimed. Fitz looked over at me and gave me a sympathetic smile. "Sorry, Liv. Let me get rid of whoever that is on the phone. Hold that thought." He pressed a button putting her on speaker phone and said, "hello?" as he began pulling to the side of the road.

"Fitz? It's Abby. Can you talk?" she asked. I don't know why but I immediately felt uncomfortable. There was something in her voice that screamed secrecy.

When he was stopped and had the car in park, Fitz took the phone off of speaker mode, picked it up, and stepped outside, walking away from the car. I watched him talk to her from inside the car. I couldn't hear anything, but he gestured a lot with his hands. At one point he raised his voice to her and I wondered what that was all about?

Fifteen minutes later, he got back into the car and ran a hand through his hair. He seemed frustrated. He set his phone back in the cup holder and hunched over the steering wheel, resting his head on his arms. I didn't know what to do to help him? I did what my mother used to do when I was frustrated. I rubbed his back in soothing circles. "Whatever it is, it's going to be alright." I told him. I wasn't sure if I believed it myself, but I made it sound convincing.

He kept his head on his arms and turned his head towards me. "This whole thing has gotten way out of control. I know you want to talk to me about something, but I need to tell you a few things myself. They are going to be hard for you to hear, but I can't keep them to myself anymore and to be completely honest, I don't want to."

I had a feeling we were about to have another truth time. But this time it was going to be lengthy and painful and brutally honest. I was on board with all of it. I was long past ready to get the things off my chest that I had been keeping from him too. I took off my seatbelt, scooted closer to him, and leaned my forehead against his. We looked into each other eyes for a long moment. Maybe it was to center ourselves? To make sure we were making the right decision? Or just to bond before we unloaded everything we had been keeping from the other? I didn't know, and it didn't matter.

I pressed my lips to his in a soft sweet kiss and lingered there much longer than necessary. When I pulled away, I looked into his brilliant blue eyes, that were now shrouded with a touch of sadness, and said, "a kiss for courage. I think we're both going to need it."

He nodded at me and said, "I won't judge you for whatever you have to tell me if you won't judge me for whatever I tell you."

"The things I am aware of are heavy. They are game changers, Fitz. They could tear us apart, but I don't want that to happen. It's the last thing I want to happen. So, I am making my own rules and saying fuck theirs. We are in this together and I don't want anyone wiggling their way into our relationship wreaking any more havoc between us. Trust me, I'm not going to judge you. I love you and that has nothing to do with this damned merger." I was hoping he would see things the same way I was seeing them.

He smiled at me and kissed me again. "Our companies merging was the best thing that happened in my life. I'm afraid if it hadn't happened, I never would have met you. And I don't want to think about what my life would have been like without you in it. That is the extent of my loyalty to the company. They can fire me, give me hell, or they can all fuck off for all I care. But I am not keeping anything from you for a job that doesn't feel any loyalty towards me after all the years I have invested in it."

"What do you mean?" I asked as panic started to rise up within me.

"My meeting with Samuel last night? He enlightened me to some things that I had no idea about. Things I never would have dreamed that my own company would do to me." He replied.

"What...things?"

"Did you know that I was up for this promotion as RVP three years ago? But the company decided to hold off naming me for it because they were happy where I was at."

That couldn't be true? Could it? "But why would they offer it to you now though? You're still doing a great job right where you are."

"Because they knew our companies were going to merge together and the fucking powers that be decided to use you and me as free entertainment as we fought and clawed our way to the prize." He wore a sour smile on his face as I absorbed his words. "Would you like to know who was also in on this decision to pit you and I against each other?"

I didn't think I did want to know. "Please don't say Cyrus."

"Oh yea. That old bastard has his fingerprints all over this. Abby too." he spit out.

A horrified look crossed my face. "Ohmygod! Abby? Really? Who else?"

"I don't know. Those were the only two names that Samuel dropped on me. Probably because he knew they would get the biggest reaction from me since I knew them both? He said there were other higher ups involved too." He turned in his seat, facing me, and held my hands. "I also found out that he suspects they have already chosen which one of us will get the promotion."

"Did he say who it is?" I asked nervously.

"He only said he had his suspicions, but no concrete facts yet." Fitz explained. "I'm really sorry that I kept all of this from you, Liv. Believe me when I say it won't happen again."

"I know who it is." I whispered. I closed my eyes and swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat. "I know which one of us is getting it."

His face crinkled, and his eyebrows sunk. "You do? Who told you?"

"Cyrus told me I got the job two days ago." I admitted to him.

"Two days ago?" he exclaimed. He took a moment to get himself together. "Sorry. It's just...you've been walking around with this information for two days? How have you not lost your mind?"

I burst into tears and began blubbering like a five year old. "I'm sorry, Fitz!" He pulled me to him and held onto me tightly without saying anything. He could have been pissed off, or yelled, or any other number of things. But he just held me and let me cry, releasing everything I had been feeling the past few days. My tears were equal parts of guilt and relief. Guilt for keeping silent and relief for finally letting go of everything. "I should have told you sooner. I wanted to, but Cyrus told me I couldn't. I felt so bad that I had gotten the job and you didn't. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." He kissed the top of my head. "Not for this. They have put us against each other on purpose. For their own entertainment. To get their fucking jollies off by watching us work our asses off on our way to get to the top, when they had an agenda the whole time. But we're not going to let them win. We're going to figure out a way to tip the scales in our favor."

I wiped my nose and looked up at him. "How are we going to do that?"

"We were trained by those people. We know all of their tricks. And we are gonna use them to bury the fuckers. You trust me, right?" He asked with a smile.

"Of course I do."

"You know what, I'm not even surprised that they picked you. I'm proud as hell of you. You deserve the promotion, Liv. You really are going to make a fantastic Co Regional Vice President." He pressed his lips to mine and held onto me.

"Fitz? I haven't told you everything yet. Don't go making secret plans just yet and leaving me out of them. Especially when you don't have all of the information."

"Never." He replied. "Let's get all of our cards on the table before we start plotting the taking back of our lives. Spill it, beautiful."

"Last night while you were meeting with Samuel at the bar, I was bored in the room, so I called Abby."

"Uh oh." He chimed in.

"Yea. I told her that you had a meeting and she asked me who it was with. I told her his first name and then she guessed his last name. She couldn't get off the phone fast enough once I confirmed it. She said Stephen was calling but I could tell she was lying. What do you think it means?"

"Well, that explains the phone call I just got. It was Abby telling me to stop putting other things ahead of my job. She basically ripped into me telling me that I shouldn't be taking meetings with companies that are our adversaries, even if they are old friends of mine. She was acting like my work mother. I knew something was up." He ran his fingers through my hair. "It's not your fault. If she's as well connected as Samuel says, then she would have found out sooner or later. Hell, I'd be surprised if her and Cyrus don't have us under surveillance somehow."

I looked around outside nervously. "That is both a creepy and scary thought. And yet I wouldn't put it past either one of them knowing what I know now."

"Keep an eye out for low flying drones." He said with a laugh. "Is that everything you know, Liv? Because if we are going to come up with a plan to land on top together, everything has to be out in the open. There is no detail that's too small that we shouldn't be sharing with each other. So, think hard. If anything pops into your beautiful mind, I want you to tell me what it is, okay?"

"There really isn't anything else that I can think of. What did you mean earlier when you said Co Regional Vice President? There's only room for one with that title. You know that." Surely, he wasn't thinking what I thought he was thinking? That would require some big balls and a hit out of the park the first time at bat. There wouldn't be a second chance to make that happen.

"There's a first for everything and we are going to make that title a co position very soon. It's going to require a lot of work and sneakiness. I know I don't have to ask you if you're up for it. I don't date weak women, so I already know you are up for it." He said grinning.

"Really? Would you care to tell me the names of these other strong women you have dated?" I asked with arched eyebrows.

His face fell immediately, and he said, "No. No I wouldn't. All you need to know is that you're the only one for me. And we are going to get our lives back or burn the place to the ground trying."

"You're talking figuratively, I assume."

"Naturally."

"What's the plan?" I asked anxiously.

"Before I tell you my thoughts, I need to tell you that Samuel offered me a job with his company." Fitz admitted.

"What did you just say?" I was shocked.

"Yea. He did. He offered me the position of RVP at his company making twenty percent more than I would be if I had the position in my own company. It's a hell of a great offer."

"It is." She agreed. "Why wouldn't you just take it and be done with all of this? It would solve some of our dating problems within the company. And in case we don't accomplish everything we set out to, we'd at least both have great jobs. In competing companies of course, but that could make things more interesting."

"You're twisted, and I love that about you." He grinned as he gripped my chin and pulled me towards him for a quick peck on the lips. "But losing is not an option. Not to them! We are going to kick their asses this time and make them wonder how in the hell we did it." He seemed very confident.

The two of us sat in the car for the next half hour discussing what needed to be done. We had a rough outline of what we wanted to accomplish, and Fitz was right. It would require a lot of sneakiness. We had a lot to do before Monday morning when he was supposed to call Samuel with an answer to his offer.

 **Fitz's POV**

Olivia and I talked all the way to our next stop. We had a lot to talk about and a two hour car ride in which to do it in. I had been completely honest with her in my joy that she had gotten the job. She deserved it and I couldn't be prouder. The problem was I deserved it as well, and the company didn't know it yet, but they were going to make room for both of us in that position. And not give us any shit about dating either.

We checked into our hotel, getting two different rooms. We needed to show that there was trouble in paradise and Olivia figured what better way to do that than to charge two different rooms to the company? It would send up a red flag when our bosses noticed the change in the reimbursement forms we submitted each week. We had to make it look good just in case Cyrus or Abby did have someone watching us.

Olivia left the car the moment I put it in park. She collected her suitcase and wasted no time going inside to check herself in. She kept a scowl on her face whenever she was anywhere near me but dropped it the moment anyone else came into her orbit. It shouldn't have been, but it was sexy as hell watching my little double agent play both sides.

I took my time. Was purposefully more sluggish in getting my own stuff out of the car and heading into the hotel, acting like I wanted to be anywhere but in the same space as Olivia. There were two reasons for this. One was for the obvious reason of acting as if the two of us weren't getting along. The second reason was so I could see if I noticed anything or anyone out of the ordinary in the parking lot. Someone sitting in their car until I got out. Someone standing around acting suspicious. I didn't see anyone, but that didn't mean they weren't there. I work in retail not with the FBI.

We got checked into our rooms and the moment I was inside mine, I dropped my suitcase on the bed and used the hotel phone to call her room. She answered on the second ring. "You okay?" I asked.

"Did you see anyone outside?" Her voice sounded full of worry and I hated to hear it. I needed kick ass Olivia Pope by my side as we continued to plot and then finally put our plan into motion.

"Nah. I wouldn't worry about it too much. I don't think Cyrus and Abby are as evil and mysterious as we give them the credit of being." I was still going to keep an eye open for strangeness but didn't honestly think any would come our way. I knew we needed to keep up the pretenses of arguing or being apart, but I was going to make the most of every phone conversation. "What are you doing about dinner?"

"I'll probably just order room service. I don't feel like going out on my own tonight." She sounded slightly sad.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this for right now. I'll get room service too and we can at least eat dinner together over the phone if you want? Say, around six?" I wanted to be with her in her room right now too but knew admitting that would make it harder on her.

"That sounds good. I'm going to go soak in the tub for a little bit. I'll call you when I'm ready to eat."

"You live to torture me, don't you?" I teased. "Call me if you want me to come wash your back. Or your front." She giggled, and I momentarily felt a little better about the arrangement. "I'm going to call Cyrus and get this thing into motion. Talk to you shortly."

After ending the call with Olivia, I placed one to her boss. He answered his own phone instead of using a receptionist to gauge the importance of his calls, which I found interesting. "Cyrus Beene." His greeting was clipped and to the point.

"Cyrus, this is Fitzgerald Grant. How are you?" I asked conversationally.

"Mr. Grant. This is a surprise. To what do I owe the pleassssure?" I could practically hear him leaning back in his chair comfortably behind his desk, big smile on his face.

"I'm afraid I need to discuss something of importance with you."

"What are we talking? Marriage? Another unplanned pregnancy?" He chuckled.

I let the unplanned pregnancy remark go for now. "No. Neither actually. I'm afraid that I need to schedule a meeting with you at your earliest convenience."

"Oh? Are we talking about after your East Coast tour has ended? If that's the case, my appointment book is..."

"I need to speak with you sooner than that." I cut him off. I couldn't stand to hear his smug voice longer than necessary. "In fact, I'm not sure I'll be able to fulfill my requested duties here in New York much longer. I may need to go back to California a lot sooner than expected."

The silence on the line was deafening for a good thirty seconds. I could hear him trying to figure out what was going on. He was probably sitting up in his chair now too. "Are you quitting, Mr. Grant? Throwing your name out of the race for the promotion you've worked so hard for?"

Cyrus didn't give a shit about me. Of all the things in life I had questions about, that wasn't one of them. Naturally, that was where his mind went. That bottom line. I decided to play his game for a while. "It may come to that in the end. I can't work with Olivia any longer though."

"What's the problem?" He asked sounding bored.

"I'd rather set up a meeting with you to discuss the things that are on my mind." It was kind of fun to keep him guessing. It wouldn't be for long unfortunately.

"Do we really need a meeting to talk about whatever is weighing so heavily on your mind? I'd rather you tell me now. Again, what is the problem?"

"There is a whole hell of a lot more than one problem when it comes to that woman." I tried to sound angry or impatient, but my acting skills needed brushing up. "How you have put up with her for so long without firing her is beyond me."

"She has never done anything worth firing her over. She's one in a million." He was back to sounding confident and in control. It was exactly how I wanted him to feel. People make mistakes when they are cocky.

"On behalf of all men on planet earth, I'm thankful there's only one of her! She's a pain in the ass on a good day. A complete bitch on all the other days. You need to rein her in, Cyrus or she is going to piss off the wrong person one day." Maybe my acting skills weren't as bad as I thought?

"Get to the point already. What has she done to upset your delicate feelings?"

"She called someone I work with, a supervisor, and told her that I was shopping around for a new job."

"Is that what you were do..."

Fuck you, Cyrus I screamed in my head! I ignored his accusation and kept going. "That was something I told her in confidence. She gave the name of the person I was meeting with. It's highly unprofessional and I suggest that you discuss with her the rules of ethics in the workplace sometime very soon. This is not the behavior of a responsible regional vice president."

"Alright. Calm down. Calm down. You make valid points, but you know this is exactly why most major companies have a strict dating policy when it comes to corporate employees. You wouldn't have these issues if the two of you hadn't insisted on dating each other while in this competition for the promotion."

"Are you saying this is all my own fault?" I asked.

"No, I'm not saying that exactly. I'm saying that this type of thing happens when work and romance intertwine. Certain clear lines become blurry."

"Are you going to do anything about what I've just told you or what?"

"I will talk to Olivia. I honestly would hate to see you go back to California. I do hope you will stick around and keep up the good work. There is a promotion on the line after all. It would be a shame for you to invest so much time into it and end up walking away because of a female. Don't you agree?"

Someone should seriously consider paying Cyrus to give motivating speeches. He really is sublime at them. Of course, he mixes a little bit of humiliation and sarcasm into them too, but he gets his point across and makes the listener feel like getting back into the game. "I'll think about it. But changes are already happening between us. I can't imagine trusting her again."

"Women! They complicate every damned thing. Am I right?" he chuckled.

I wanted to punch him in the face so badly. Instead I said, "goodbye, Mr. Beene."

All there was to do now was to wait. I just knew he would be reaching out to Abby immediately and the two of them would have a conversation about what he and I had just spoken about. And then Abby would call me and pretend to be my friend and placate me and be on my side. I waited for my phone to ring.

Ten minutes later, my cell phone began chiming and I smirked while shaking my head at the predictable situation. The smirk vanished however, when I realized that instead of the caller being Abby, it was Stephen. He probably wanted to touch base with me about the job? "Hello? Stephen?"

He didn't mince words but got right to the point. "What the fuck is going on out there, Fitz?"

His accusation caught me completely off guard. I briefly wondered why he was so damned mad? How did he know anything was going on out here? The answer to that was a simple one. Cyrus Beene. So, Stephen was involved in this too somehow. It was the only thing that made any sense. I wondered if Samuel hadn't told me that my own boss was somehow connected to this shit storm to protect or surprise me? I hated surprises.

The only thing I did know was that I wasn't going to volunteer any information. I could act dumb just like anyone else. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean?"

"Don't you?"

"Honestly, I have no idea what you are..."

"Don't play stupid with me, Fitz. You're a lot smarter than that, mate." Stephen accused.

I decided putting the ball back in Stephen's court would give him a slight advantage, but ultimately, it would allow me to guide the conversation. I could answer his questions and discover what he was concerned about. "Why don't you just tell me what you think you know."

"I just got a call from Cyrus Beene." he angrily spat out. "He said you called him and mentioned you might be throwing in the towel because of Olivia? What the hell is that all about?"

It was unclear to me if Stephen was an innocent bystander or if he was yet another person holding the puppet strings. I could play this little game with him a while longer to try to find out. "She's acting in a manner that isn't ethical, Stephen."

"Because you're going to meetings with the opposition! You told Cyrus that you were looking for a job? Are you mental?" he exploded.

"I took a meeting with an old friend from California who just happens to be based in New York now. Someone who just happens to own his own company and offered me a job. A damned good one, I might add." I knew it was petty of me, but I couldn't help rubbing it in a little.

"Are you seriously considering it? The company is going to announce the recipient of the promotion in a matter of days. When do you have to let him know your decision?" he sputtered.

Stephen was hard to peg. I was no clearer knowing if he was for or against me than when the conversation had started. I wasn't about to give an inch to someone I was uncertain about their loyalty to me. "I have to give him an answer very soon."

"But that is insane! You could already have the promotion here. Why would you want to start fresh somewhere else?"

"Since you're so full of them, here's a question for you, Stephen. Was I ever up for this promotion before now? As regional vice president?" Maybe this would tell me what I needed to know?

There was silence on the line.

"Stephen?"

"I think we're getting off topic here."

"Answer the damned question!" I shouted. I cleared my throat and in a much calmer voice added, "I deserve to know, don't you think?"

"You were mentioned for the promotion a few years ago. It was thought, by some, that it would be best to wait a little longer to have you seriously considered for it. How in the hell did you know about that anyways?"

"There are so many people talking within these two merged companies that it's hard to keep up with all of the stories I'm told and who has told them. But I appreciate your honesty. Were you one of the "some" who thought it was best for me to wait? Be honest, Stephen. I deserve that too after all these years."

"I wasn't. I knew you would be a great Regional Vice President for Toy Land. Still do. I voiced my opinion about the matter to any and everyone, but I was out voted." He sounded truly saddened about it.

I decided to test his loyalty. "It's a good thing I'm getting the promotion then."

"Fitz, you don't know that. Not for sure. It's a good mindset to have, but nothing definitive has been decided yet."

"That's where you're wrong, Stephen. It has already been decided. I just happened to find out about it sooner than I was supposed to."

"And who told you this information? One of the innumerable people within the companies that is currently doing a lot of talking, as you mentioned a few moments ago? I hardly think that's a trustworthy source."

"The source is solid. And this is just between us, so I'm not worried about it going any further." I knew if it did go further, it would mean that I would be getting a phone call from someone to give me an earful about it. I also knew if anyone contacted me about it, it meant I couldn't trust Stephen. I had plenty of enemies and could use an ally.

"I wouldn't be going off at the mouth about this to anyone else. Especially Olivia."

"I'm not telling her anything these days. It's over between us. For good."

"I hate to hear that, mate. I'm truly sorry. But on the other hand, it will save you a lot of heartache further down the line. Mixing business and pleasure is a hard drink to swallow. Believe me. I've learned that lesson the hard way. You're better off. Are you really coming back to California though?"

"I'm going to wait and see how things pan out here the next few days and then decide. But I've learned that I can't trust her anymore. It's one thing to learn that the company you gave your blood, sweat, and tears to has screwed you over for a promotion you deserved. It's another thing altogether when you learn that the woman you love has done it."

"Look, I know you don't want to hear this. I don't want to say it. But it was evident to me at the meeting the two of you set up with Cyrus and myself, that she loves you. Really loves you. Whatever she has done surely has a valid reason behind it, don't you think?"

That admission and him taking Liv's side surprised me more than anything else in our conversation. "Maybe. But it's more than her telling my business to Abby. There are things happening here that you are unaware of. Fool me once..."

"Yea." Stephen said quietly. "I get that. Damned women! Let me know what you decide to do, Fitz. Please. I'd hate to lose you to anyone. I'm on your side in all of this."

"Thanks, Stephen. Really. That means a lot to me. I'll keep you informed." I ended the call and began to wonder if I honestly could trust him? I desperately wanted to but wasn't about to get burned by him. Not for a job. Not for anything.

Before I could contemplate it any further, my phone chimed. This time it was Abby. Fucking Cyrus has been a busy little bee on the phone over the past half hour. "Abby! How in the hell are ya?" I chirped loudly.

She began giving me a ten minute lecture about company loyalty. I found that oddly ironic knowing what I know now. I listened patiently to her shpiel with lots of eye rolling mixed in for good measure. She was really wound up over me quitting the company, me going to meet with Samuel, and pretty much anything I had done over the past several weeks, and she reminded me of every one of my short comings in great detail. It was such an eye opener to hear her talk to me knowing that she was dirty. Things in her voice that I hadn't noticed before seemed so obvious now. The demeaning way she spoke to me was always something I chalked up to being Abby Wheelan. But when I recalled hearing her have a conversation with almost anyone else, I could see distinct differences. I had been so blind.

"As always, it's great to hear from you Abby. But I have to go now." I didn't want to listen to her shit any more than I had to.

"But I..."

"Have a great evening. Bye now." I ended the call and put my phone on silent. I couldn't deal with one more person calling me and telling me what a fucking idiot I was for something I had no intention of doing. I laid back on the queen sized bed, sighed loudly, and closed my eyes. I was out in seconds.

I woke up several hours later feeling a strong need to pee. I rubbed my eyes and, leaning on my elbows, sat up. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I yawned and stood up, heading to the bathroom to relieve myself. When I came back I noticed my phone which I had left haphazardly on the bed. I touched the home button and saw that I had several texts from Liv. Shit! We were supposed to eat dinner together by phone earlier.

I read the texts.  
 _It's 6_  
 _THIS is why I can't depend on you!_  
 _Ur an asshole_

Fitz grinned as he read the words. Olivia was a better actress than he gave her credit for. Anyone who might be looking through their phone records would see an outraged woman. When he glanced over at the hotel phone sitting on the bedside table, he noticed the little red light was blinking. She had left him at least one message there as well.

Throwing his phone back down on the bed, he went to listen to the words of the woman who loved him.  
 _Hey. It's six o'clock. I thought we were eating dinner together? I'm all done with my bath and have watched an absurd amount of courtroom tv._

There was a few moments of silence.

 _You know what I think? I think you fell asleep on me. Either that, or you're having a night out on the town without me. Meeting strange women and buying them drinks. But you know that's a sure way for you to get murdered, so I'm going with sleep. I know there's a lot on your mind. Things you haven't told me yet because you're trying to fine tune the plan first. I'll eat my dinner alone tonight while you sleep, but you owe me big time. And you know what that's code for. God, I miss being near you and talking to you. Laying my head on your chest. Holding your hand._

She sighed.

 _Sleep well, Fitz. Call me tomorrow. I love you_

Her message made his grin even wider. He knew it was going to be a while, but Fitz was going to marry Olivia Pope when this was all said and done.


	26. Spies Like Us

Spies Like Us

 **Fitz's POV**

It was late Sunday afternoon and Olivia and I were going to meet up to go over our plan once again. We were supposed to be doing it over the hotel phone to preserve the image of us being split up, but she had spent all day long in her room and warned me that she was on the verge of going mad. She wanted to meet at an out of the way place, so we could hold hands and kiss each other while we talked openly. Wisely, I left the keys to the rental car at the front desk and took a cab to a restaurant on the outskirts of town. If someone wanted to find us, they were going to have to work for it.

I sat at a table and glanced around the room, just to take in the sights of the place. It was a quaint little mom and pop place off the beaten track and the outside made me wonder if the food was safe. But Olivia had insisted that it was amazing, so here I was. There were several people inside at various stages of eating their meal. I smiled at the ones who briefly made eye contact with me and settled my eyes back onto the menu.

The tinkling bell over the front door was heard and I glanced up, hoping it was Olivia. It wasn't her, but a face that somehow looked vaguely familiar to me nonetheless. It was a middle aged man, rail thin, brown hair and tired brown eyes. He was greeted by the hostess and as he lifted his gaze, I quickly brought mine back down to the large plastic menu in my hands. I could feel his eyes on me as he was led to a table behind me. I needed to warn Olivia but knew that texting was not an option. Not now.

As I sat there trying to come up with a way to warn her about the situation without bringing attention to the man sitting behind me, she walked in the door. She had on a floral dress that went to the floor, her hair was hanging half way down her back, and she was smiling brightly. She looked stunning and I wanted nothing more than to hold her. She caught my facial expression, which had turned sour at the sight of her, and hers immediately dropped to my level.

I mouthed the words 'behind me' to her and watched her roll her eyes. To anyone in the restaurant, it would look like she was rolling them because she had just seen me in there. But I knew she was unhappy because our plans for a little alone time had been fucked up.

She walked up to my table and quietly asked, "What the hell are you doing here? I thought we agreed that this was my place, not yours?"

I scowled up at her. God, she was beautiful. And brilliant. And sexy. And overdressed. Stop! Stop! Stop! My brain chanted loudly. This is not the time or place for those type of thoughts. Get your shit together, man! "I like the way they make their chicken parm. Besides, you don't own the place, Olivia. I can eat wherever I want." I went back to glancing at the menu, knowing she was still standing impatiently in front of me.

"I brought you here once. That doesn't make it yours either. We agreed that you wouldn't come here again. So, get out!"

Something about her threatening me stirred the intense desire I always felt whenever she was nearby. I wanted her badly but knew there was nothing I could do about it right now. Or was there? I stood up abruptly, and grabbed her by the arm, leading her outside. I heard her whisper, "This is sexy as hell" on the way out the door. I had to agree.

The moment we were outside, and the door had shut behind us, I released her arm wildly, placing her body so it was facing the windows that looked into the restaurant and my back was to them. "YOU DON'T TELL ME WHERE I CAN AND CAN'T EAT!" I screamed as my eyes roamed her body and I groaned quietly.

"What the hell is going on, Fitz?" she said in a loud challenging voice.

"There's a man inside sitting at a table behind the one I was at. He looks familiar to me, but I can't figure out where I know him from. Do you see him?" I quietly asked. In a much louder voice I said, "What's going on is you are stalking me. It's not pretty on you, Liv!"

She paced in a circle as I watched her. She wisely stopped when her back was to the windows and spoke quietly and quickly in a nervous voice. "Shit! He was at the toy testing. I'm pretty sure he's one of the guys who led Minnie Mouse around corporate. I definitely remember him being in the room when pictures were taken of Harrison, Leesa, and Sophie. What the fuck is he doing here?"

She lifted an arm into the air and shouted, "Stalking you would mean I'm remotely interested in what you do. I don't give a shit about you! The sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be!"

Back in her quiet voice she said, "Don't call me Liv when you're supposed to be pissed off at me. It's too personal. Other than that, you're doing great. You had to wear those tight ass navy blue pants didn't you?"

I couldn't stop the smile that covered my face. She was cursing me out and giving me pointers on acting pissed off at her at the same time. I was in love with an incredible woman. "That's rich coming from you, babe!" I shouted sarcastically.

Olivia raised her eyebrows at the new pet name.

"Who was texting me last night reminding me of the time?" I put my finger to my chin and added, "Who was that? I wonder?"

"Fitzgerald Grant, you're getting dangerously close to me kicking your ass for real out here." She hissed.

"You're right. Sorry, babe." I winked. "You know what? Fuck this! You win! I'm not hungry anymore anyway." I shouted. I stomped towards the left into the gravel covered parking lot. Olivia followed me just like I wanted her to.

When I knew we were safely out of sight of all the patrons inside, I turned around quickly and latched onto her lips. Her hands were around my neck in an instant and mine wound around her waist, pulling her pelvis harshly against mine. It felt like it had been an eternity since the two of us had kissed each other and I realized how much I missed the simple gesture I took for granted.

She pulled away from me and said, "stop! Someone will see us. Or come out of the restaurant."

"There's a bell over the door. We'll hear it if anyone comes outside." I resumed kissing her, sliding my tongue into her mouth and savoring the taste of her.

Olivia pulled away from me once again and looked into my eyes. I was feeling impatient and confused and a little angry and I'm sure all those feelings were displayed on my face as well. Her hands came to my cheeks, she smiled warmly at me, and said "We need to stop."

"Liv, we're fine right here." I started.

She took two steps backwards from me and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I hate this. I hate not being able to be with you or kiss you or hold your hand or fall asleep beside you every night. I hate all of it. But we are playing parts in a dangerous game, Fitz and we can't afford to be careless. There's too much at stake and I don't intend to lose."

"I'm sorry, Liv. I got carried away. I miss you too you know? It's not going to be for much longer though. We are going to come out on top of this and then we won't have to play games like this. Although you screaming at me made me want you in the worst way. You are so sexy when you're fired up, babe."

"Do not call me babe." she said grinning.

I grabbed for her as the tinkling of the bell could be heard behind us. Without either of us turning around to see who it was, Olivia yelled, "DON'T TOUCH ME!" and slapped me across the face before she angrily stalked to the rental car and drove away.

I looked up, still somewhat in shock that she had actually slapped me, to see our mystery man walking towards a car near where I stood. I shook my head back and forth angrily as I rubbed my sore cheek and said, "fucking women!"

He reached his vehicle, opened the driver's side door, and looked over at me. "That was quite a little show the two of you put on just now. Very entertaining. You really need to work on your anger though. The lust in your eyes for Miss Pope gives you away too easily so it wasn't realistic at all. But as I said, very entertaining. Have a good evening, Mr. Grant." He got into his car and drove away without giving me a second look. That little fucker! Whoever he was, he had just added his name - which I still had to learn – to the list of people I was taking down.

I called a cab to pick me up and while I waited for it, I plotted some more. I was thoroughly pissed off by the time it arrived and slid into the backseat, slamming the door, I angrily barked out the name of the hotel to the driver. The ride calmed me down somehow and I was feeling more like myself by the time we reached the destination. "Sorry for being a bastard when you showed up. I hope this makes up for it?" I slid him a fifty dollar bill and got out of the car.

Once I got into my room I noticed the red blinking light on the hotel phone, indicating that there was a message for me. Most likely from Olivia. I knew she had questions and concerns about our little display earlier, but right now I needed a shower and some time to think.

I turned on the shower and stepped in without waiting for the water to heat up. The briskness of the water was just what every part of my body needed. When the water turned much hotter, it felt soothing to my skin. I lathered up my hair and began thinking about the weasel at the restaurant. Olivia said he had been at the toy testing in California. That meant he was most likely Abby's guy, since she was on the wrong side of this too.

I wondered what his purpose was for being in New York? Was he here just to spy on Liv and me and report back to Abby what he had seen and heard? Was he following us as well? I couldn't remember seeing him anywhere else we had been, but I hadn't been paying that much attention either. I was watching for tall muscular guys in black, not skinny nerdy types who tended to blend in. I was going to have to re-think some things.

I stepped under the shower head to rinse my hair. Switching gears for a moment, I knew that I would have to call Samuel tomorrow and let him know what my decision was about his job offer. That would be another part of the plan. He would have to be involved in what we were doing. Hell, he already knew more than we did, so it wasn't going to be difficult to draw him into what we were doing. He, Olivia, and I had a meeting set up for later tonight to discuss everything. It was to be held in his office, so no one uninvited would be able to see or hear anything we didn't want them to.

I wondered about Cyrus and his part in the company's scheme. Did he just get his jollies off on seeing people miserable? Or did he have a greater plan in place? I wondered why he had told Olivia about her landing the promotion? Was it really an absolute truth? Or was he toying with her yet again for reasons unknown? I didn't have any answers, but I knew I could trust Cyrus Beene just about as far as I could throw him.

Feeling more confused than when I started, I rinsed my lathered body off and stepped out of the shower. I dried off and hung the towel from my hips as I walked into the bedroom. No time like the present, I decided. I picked up the phone and discovered that I had just one voice mail.  
Fitz? Please let me know when you get back to the room. I'm sorry I slapped you across the face but when I noticed it was the creeper coming out of the restaurant, I was glad he saw it. I hope it doesn't hurt too much? I love you. Call me back!

I deleted the message as I shook my head and dialed the number to her room. She answered on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hey you. How's your face?"

"Still handsome." I replied with a chuckle.

"If I didn't improve anything, I'm at least glad I didn't do any damage either. I'm sorry about that. I saw him coming out from the corner of my eye and knew I had to make it look good."

"He didn't buy it." I said flatly.

"What do you mean, he didn't buy it? You talked to him?"

"Yea. After you took off I noticed that he was walking my way. He basically said that he knew it was all an act. He accused me of being a bad actor. Can you imagine that?"

"Well, kind of. Yea." She admitted.

"What?!" There was no way she was going to take his side. "What do you mean?"

"You did call me Liv in an argument. And you kept giving me sexy eyes. It was very distracting."

"That's what that guy said too! He said that I needed to work on my anger because my eyes showed my real feelings for you. Something about lust or some shit like that. I don't know."

Olivia giggled. "Yes, you do. Number one, you know exactly what he said because you probably came back and picked it all apart piece by piece before you called me."

"Are you really doing a countdown right now?" I muttered.

"And number two, you know he's absolutely right. You were too busy trying to undress me with your eyes to convey any kind of anger with them."

"Can you blame me? You had on that pretty dress and your hair was waving down your back. You looked sexy as hell. And it's been a few days since we've been together. I miss you, Liv." God, I was whining right now.

"You're pathetic. But I miss you too. We won't have to keep up this charade for much longer. Just a day. Two tops. Then we can be free to be us. Happy together us." She sounded excited. It was contagious.

"Two days tops?" I asked.

"Yup. Are you going to meet me at Samuel's office at nine?"

"That's the plan. Maybe you should arrive a little early, so I can drag you into one of the corporate bathrooms and make out with you?" I suggested.

"I'm not making out in a bathroom! That's what broom closets are for." she giggled.

"Ride with me in the limousine. We are just going to a meeting."

"We aren't supposed to be seen together unless we are fighting." She reminded me.

"No one is going to see anything through heavily tinted windows. That way we wouldn't need the corporate bathroom or broom closet. We can take care of each other in the car. Please say yes. I need you to say yes. Especially if I have to wait two more days to touch you in public." He hoped he was winning her over.

Olivia took a deep breath in and eventually let it out again. There was a lengthy silence on the line before she answered me. "I suppose you make valid reasons for riding together to the meeting."

"YESSSSS! I'm going to kiss your face!"

"You'd better be planning on kissing a lot more than just my face. When we get out of the car, you go out one door and I go out the other one. Deal?" She sounded so serious and professional

"You've absolutely got a deal. Whatever you want, babe." I said grinning like a kid on Halloween.

"Fitz!" Olivia said in a warning tone. "Don't."

"But I love you."

"If you love me you wouldn't call me that." she patiently explained.

"If you love me then you'll put out in the car tonight." I teased.

"I gotta go." She said flatly. "I'll see you downstairs. Bye, Fitz."

"Bye, babe." I said chuckling, knowing it would irritate her some. I got dressed, brushed my teeth, and did my hair – noting that I needed a haircut very soon. I realized that I never ate anything for dinner and decided that the limo could stop somewhere after the meeting, so Liv and I could eat something before bed. A full stomach and some energetic exercise should make for a restful night's sleep tonight. I could hardly wait to get her alone in the car.

 **Olivia's POV**

I was sitting in the back of the limousine waiting for Fitz to arrive. I had purposefully sat down on the far left side as close to the door as humanly possible. He would get instructions to sit on the right side when he got into the car. I made sure the partition was up between us and the driver, so he wouldn't hear the things we did to each other as he drove. Anticipation was coursing through my veins. I couldn't wait to get my hands on Fitz.

Ten minutes later, he finally made his appearance. The back door opened, and Fitz slid onto the seat. As soon as the door was closed, and the driver was making his way to his own seat I said, "Took you long enough. Are you trying to make a grand entrance or something?"

He glanced around with a frown. "I'm sorry. I believe I have the wrong limousine. I specifically requested the bitchy free ride. I shall have to take that up with Charles once the vehicle comes to a stop."

"His name is Robert and he's very nice." I informed him.

"Naturally you already know his name. I'll bet he knows Sophia's favorite color by now, doesn't he?" Fitz asked with a chuckle.

"Do you really want to spend this twenty minute car ride talking?" I asked, shifting in my seat to face him. "It's been a while since I've seen you naked, but we can talk about the driver if you'd rather?"

"I don't give a shit about the driver. Come here!" He pulled me onto his lap and began kissing me feverishly. He groaned when my tongue eagerly darted into his mouth and he sucked on it. "Thank God you wore a skirt. Pants would've taken too long."

"Fitz?" I said in a threatening tone as I looked down at him from atop his lap.

"Yea, babe?" he asked as innocent as could be.

I grit my teeth, deciding to let it go this time. "Stop talking and give me what I need."

He had bunched up my skirt around my waist and was in the process of jerking my panties down my legs. But he stopped, and I knew if he was playing one of his sex games, he would not live long enough to finish playing it. Once the little fabric was gone he looked up at me from his lazily reclined spot on the seat and asked, "What is it that you need?"

I put my hands on his shoulders and straddled his lap as I began unzipping his pants. I reached inside of his underwear and grabbed a hold of his firm length, pulled it free, and began stroking him slowly. Looking into Fitz's eyes I said, "I'll tell you in a minute." My head disappeared into his crotch as I took most of him into my mouth and began sucking.

"Ohhhhh god!" He exclaimed loudly as his stomach muscles momentarily tensed up. His hand pushed back the curtain of my hair that had fallen and blocked his view of me. "Feels...sooooo good." Not long after that, however, he pulled me up to face him. "Can't take much more of that. We are not getting out of this car until I hear what it is that you need. And then, I'm going to give it to you. Really hard and fast." He kissed me deeply, and I could feel him sliding the condom on while he did so. Someone was as impatient as I was.

I broke the kiss and settled myself just above his center. "I need you to fill me up. To stretch me out. To slide in and out of me with lightning speed until I'm dizzy with want. To give me something to think about for the next two nights when I'm lying in my hotel bed all alone and wanting you more than anything. That's what I need! Can you handle that?"

Fitz growled low in his throat and somehow had me flat on my back in a matter of seconds. "Just remember that you asked for it, Liv!" He lined himself up and drove quickly inside of me. I cried out from the exquisite feel of our bodies finally being joined together once again. He tried to muffle the sound by covering my mouth with a kiss, but it didn't work. Fitz wasted no time and began jackhammering away.

He grabbed the heel of my shoes and bent my knees to my chest as he repeatedly thrust into me and that dizzy feeling slowly started to make itself known. "More!" I cried out. I had missed him so much and never wanted this to end. Maybe it would hold me over for the next two days?

"You like it like that...don't you, Liv?" He panted out. "Your face...gives you...away too. You're...mmmm...loving it...fast and hard in the...back of a limo. Such a bad girl." His words were my undoing. I gripped the edge of the seat as hard as I could while the overwhelming warmth took me under and I screamed his name.

He landed on me seconds later and both of us were breathing hard. I wanted to tell him to get off of me but knew that two more days were coming when I would wish I had his weight on top of me. Instead, I wrapped my arms around him and held on tightly. He picked his head up and looked down at me with a big smile on his ridiculously handsome face. "We gotta buy a limo."

I laughed at him and pushed halfheartedly on his chest. He didn't budge. "Get off of me."

"Kiss me."

"Fitz! We've got to get ourselves together to be presentable for this meeting with Samuel."

"The meeting of the three of us can't start until the two of us get there. Kiss me, Liv. I need this moment to carry me through the next couple of days too." he admitted.

I put my arms around his neck, pulling him closer and touched my lips to his. His tongue slid into my mouth to dance with mine. My fingers couldn't stay out of his long wild curls any longer and I felt them glide through my fingertips. When he finally pulled his face away from mine with one last peck on my lips he whispered, "I love you, Olivia. This plan is going to work, and we are going to be together as we both enjoy our new positions in the company."

"I kinda like the previous position." I admitted with a smirk. I picked my head up off the seat and gently bit on his bottom lip.

He grinned down at me. "Like I said, such a bad girl. We are definitely buying a limo! You turn into a crazed sex addict. I can work with that."

I sat up in the seat and began looking for my underwear on the floor. "What would we do with a limo, Fitz?"

"Use it to get to work every day. That is a great idea."

I chuckled at him. "You're crazy! But fun time is over for now. It's go time!"

"Go time?" He asked patiently.

"Where are my underwear?"

"I thought it was go time?"

"I can't go until my lady parts are covered." He gave me that lopsided smile, and I started backing away from him. "Whatever you're thinking about, the answer is no!"

"How about we skip the underwear and I cover your lady parts with my manly ones?"

I pointed a finger in his face. "Fitz. No! Now, come here and let me fix your hair. It's going in a hundred different directions."

"Because you're always yanking on it once you get me naked."

"Shut up and come here." I fixed it as best I could with my fingers. It would do. "What about mine? Does it look okay?" I ran my hands over it, but nothing felt out of place.

"It's perfect." he smirked.

Not trusting him, I opened my purse and got out my make up mirror, holding it up to inspect my hair. Of course, he had been lying. I ran my fingers over my scalp to get rid of the places where it was knotted up. Deciding that it was the best I could do under the circumstances, I snapped the small mirror shut and threw it back into my purse.

"Do we need to go over the plan one more time?" Fitz asked.

"I think the previous four times were plenty. I'm sure that I've got it." I said confidently.

"I'd like to get it again." he chuckled, grabbing my chin and pulling me to him for a quick peck on the lips. The car slowed down, and the driver got out and opened the door for us. "Let's do this." he told me. Fitz watched me climb out of the backseat and then he followed behind.

We didn't hold hands going just in case their skinny little spy or someone just like him was hovering somewhere nearby. He held the door open and gave me a wide berth before he himself went inside. He kept a good three feet of space between us at all times until they were in the elevator. The appearance of things being frosty between us didn't stop Fitz from saying things about how great my ass looked or how he couldn't wait to get me naked again.

Fitz and I were taken to the twenty second floor and stepped out of the elevator onto plush carpeting. This floor was taken up with lots of offices. Most of the doors were closed and the lights out. By all appearances, no one was there at this hour. But the large corner office had a light on and the door was slightly open. We walked towards it, knowing it had to be Samuel's office.

We saw him sitting at his desk looking over some papers, but he hadn't seen us yet. Fitz rapped on the door with his knuckles and said, "Samuel?"

He looked up with a smile and gestured both of us in. "Fitz. Olivia. Nice to see you both again."

We sat down in comfortable chairs that faced his desk.

"When Fitz called earlier and said that he'd like for the three of us to meet at this hour under these circumstances, I thought it was odd. I also thought he was being a tad dramatic. But when he explained the situation at the diner, I worried that he might not be being cautious enough. So, I agreed to meet with you both."

"Thank you, Samuel. We appreciate it so much." I began.

"We know your time is valuable, so we'll get right to the point. I am very grateful that you offered me a position in your company." Fitz began. "One with the same benefits that I already have at Toy Land with a significant pay increase. "

"It's a great offer, Fitz. It'd be hard for me to say no if I was in your position." Samuel said, spreading his palms up and flicking his eye back and forth between us. "But something tells me the two of you have a plan of your own?"

Fitz looked over at me and smiled.

"At first, I was inclined to accept your more than generous offer. But since then, Olivia and I have talked. About everything. Everything I know, including the things that you and I have discussed, as well as the things that she is privy to that I wasn't. We do have our own plan and because of that, I have to politely decline. "

"Care to share it with me?" Samuel asked pleasantly. He grinned and leaned over his desk in order to get closer. "I love a good take down."

"We are going to..." I began. But Fitz cut me off.

"We are going to have to work on the plan. It's a rough idea that needs to be processed and picked apart to ensure its foolproof. There isn't anything concrete to share with you at the moment. Isn't that right, Miss Pope?"

I looked over at him. Something was up. We had a plan. A really good plan. I didn't understand why he wasn't sharing it with our only ally and getting him on board with it to help us carry it out? But if I had learned anything about being around him, it was to pick up on Fitz's cues, and if he was stalling it was for a good reason. "He's right. We are way out of our depth here, but we can't just sit idly by and let our company do this to us. We are going to retaliate. We just have to figure out how to do it and when the best time to strike is. We'd like very much to come back and discuss it with you when we have something concrete. If you'd be open to it?"

"Hell yes, I'd be open to it. I hate to think that these people who call themselves your bosses are taking advantage of good people like you and calling it business practices. It's a sad day when corporate America acts like they are God Almighty Himself, playing with people's lives." Samuel ranted. "What's your basic idea on how to handle this nasty business? Surely you have an idea at least?"

"We do." Fitz stated. "We plan to get a lawyer and sue their asses for emotional damages, creating a hostile work environment, and workplace stress. Watching them have to wade through paperwork and produce copies of specifically dated documents proving they weren't liable for any of those things will be enjoyable to watch. Knowing litigation will be a long drawn out process is fine with me. They should feel some amount of the kind of pain that they have inflicted upon us."

The polite smile was back in place. "That's it? You're planning to sue them?"

"You think I should do more?" Fitz asked him.

"No. I was just trying to be clear. A lawsuit is a good idea. It will keep them busy scrambling to cover their asses. And they won't see it coming. That will work in your favor. But just remember, a workplace lawsuit is considered an act of war. They aren't just going to shell out some money to the two of you and call it a day. There will be repercussions. Swift ones."

"Such as?" I asked.

"Such as you might find out that all of your work friends aren't really on your side. They probably need their jobs and aren't going to bad talk their employers to support the both of you. Then again, they might. It's something to consider though." He explained.

"That makes complete sense. It's something to think about for sure." I gave Fitz a nervous look. "Maybe we should forget all of this? Maybe it's a stupid idea?"

Looking at me, Fitz curtly said, "We only have to work together a little while longer, Olivia. And then you can go back to your life here, and I can go back to mine in California. I'm sorry, but it has to be this way." Fitz looked at Samuel and added, "Do you have any advice for us?"

He seemed to be thinking everything over. He sighed and said, "I think you're on the right path with the lawsuit. I'd need to know whatever it is that you are planning to do before I can give any solid advice on anything. The only thing I have to add at this point is that both of you need to be aware of is that Abby was the ring leader of this little charade."

I couldn't contain the words or shock in my voice. With a wrinkled nose, I exclaimed, "Abby? Are you sure?"

"I'm afraid I am. Very sure in fact. She contacted Cyrus when she found out about the companies merging and the two of them, along with some help from a few higher ups, came up with this crazy rat race scheme." Samuel explained. "Instead of Cyrus, I'd focus on taking her down first."

Fitz's face registered shock and hurt. "I worked beside her for years. She was a mentor to me. I confided things, business related things to her. I can't believe what you're saying is true."

"She's a beautiful woman with a heart of stone. She always did look out for number one though. It didn't surprise me when I learned this information. So, if you've got a decent beginning of a plan to take her down, I'll be more than glad to hear all about it. I'll help if you need it." He offered.

"That's...so much to process." Fitz mumbled. "It changes things a lot. And it does make me want to go after her first. The bitch!" He got to his feet and said, "I appreciate you being a listening ear to all of this. You've been a good friend and I won't forget it. Whether I am allowed to stay at my current job or am let go, I'm going to fight for what's mine as long as I possibly can."

"I understand completely." Samuel said, shaking his hand with that polite smile back in place. "I think it's admirable, if you want to know the truth. Good luck to both of you. If I can be of any help, please let me know. I'm here for you, Fitz."

He shook my hand before Fitz and I walked out of his office and headed towards the elevators. Once inside, I said to Fitz, "What was that..."

Fitz shook his head back and forth silently.

"piece of art on his wall? It was really beautiful. I'd like to know who the painter is, so I can look into buying a piece for my own office." I hoped that came out as effortlessly as it sounded to my own ears.

Fitz held the front door open and we both walked out into the night and slid inside the waiting limousine. I noticed the partition between us and the driver was back down. I slid all the way to the right of the seat and pointed it out to Fitz. He nodded and took my hand, lacing our fingers together.

"I'll call him when we finalize the plan and find out who the painter is. Your office could use some new artwork. The place is probably pretty boring when your head is laying on top of your desk?"

"I wouldn't know." I lied and struggled to keep a straight face. I had no idea the hell what was going on or what had triggered Fitz into guarded conversation, but I knew it was serious. And I knew it had everything to do with the conversation we had just had in Samuel's office. We were going to talk about it tonight. Part of our plan was to not keep each other in the dark and I knew even now that Fitz was thinking of a way for the two of us to escape together to somewhere remote, so he could tell me what was on his mind.

I looked over at him. He was looking out the window. You could all but hear the gears in his mind at work. He was trying to figure out how to stay on top of whatever it was that Samuel had said, as well as stay three steps ahead of whatever backlash would most likely blow back onto us. I couldn't wait to hear everything, so we could work this out together. I squeezed his hand silently and watched his head turn my way. He smiled at me, mouthed the words I love you, and squeezed my hand back. Whatever the hell was going on, I felt confident that we would come out stronger together.

Back in his office, Samuel dialed a familiar number on a burner phone and said, "they bought it. You've got at least a few more weeks until they realize you're in on it too. Yea, they're still screwing. My driver told me."


	27. Connections

**Connections**

 **Olivia's POV**  
When we arrived at our hotel, both of us silently went back into our own rooms. I made a mad dash for the hotel room phone and dialed Fitz's room. He answered on the second ring. "Fitz? What the fuck is going on?"

"I'm coming to your hotel room in a few minutes. I've got to make a few calls first though." He explained.

"You can't come to my room! There's a weird little guy watching us."

"I've never seen him in the halls. Besides, after tonight, I'm pretty sure everyone knows we're still together. I'm tired of hiding it anyways. They can all go fuck themselves."

"What? How do you possibly know th...?" I began.

"Stop panicking and give me a half hour. I'll explain it all when I get there."

He ended the call, leaving me staring dumbfounded at the receiver before I hung it up and began pacing. I wasn't panicking, I was being reasonable I told myself. We were pressed on every side it seemed and had no one but each other to talk to about any of this. And while it was a good thing that we had each other to lean on, it also made us feel like everyone else was against us. It was a difficult thing to deal with some days.

Whatever was going on had everything to do with our meeting with Samuel. Something had tipped Fitz off or made him feel weird in there because he was acting very strangely once we left Samuel's office. As much as I didn't want any more bad news than we were already dealing with, I wanted Fitz to be honest with me and keep me included in what was going on.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened up my laptop while I waited for him to knock on my door. I began a Google search on Samuel just to see what would pop up. Information about his business and where it was located and what it did were everywhere, but I wasn't interested in that. I wanted to go further back. To see what I could learn about the Samuel Coleman who didn't own his own company.

The Google image of Samuel, known as Sam back then, showed a kid with a confident smile and decent hair. By all appearances he seemed to have been a popular guy in high school. But that school uniform was hideous. Olivia rolled her eyes. Of course, he went to private school. He seemed like the type. Maybe his parents sent him away to get him out of the house? Maybe it was the high school his father had gone to?  
Maybe it was the school that was closest to where they lived? Olivia stopped trying to conjure up reasons and kept looking.

She noticed at the top of the picture that the name of the private school Samuel went to was called Fryeburg Academy in Maine. Maine? She wondered about that for a moment and wanted to see if he had been involved in any extracurricular activities? He had been in the chess club, and a football player. Very strange combination in Olivia's opinion. Until she learned that the chess club had been a freshman activity, while football had been his go to sport during his last three years of school there. She wondered if chess had helped him with football, being as you have to think steps ahead of your opponent? Interesting.

She didn't see anything else worth noting, as was about to end her mostly unfruitful search, when a last minute decision hit her. Olivia wanted to take a look at the rest of his classmates. She pulled up the grainy yearbook images and went through the pictures and names. An occasional chuckle escaped her lips at the photographs of outrageous hair styles of that time passed in front of her eyes.

And then her curious brown eyes landed on a familiar face. She almost missed it because her search had turned into looking for the craziest hair. But there he was, staring back at her with the same smile she had seen before. Her eyes flicked down to below the photo, just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. There his name sat, neatly typed in plain font for all to see. Olivia's eyes grew huge. This was the connection between Samuel and someone who was in the scene right now. There was no way it was a coincidence.

A hand touched her on the shoulder and she screamed. "Whoa! Liv. It's just me." Fitz said from behind her.

"Jesus, Fitz! You scared the shit out of me!" She got up from the bed and flew into his arms, clinging to him.

His arms came protectively around her. "I'm sorry. I thought you heard me come in. What's the matter? Are you alright?"

"Not really."

"You're shaking." He held on tighter and held her in silence until the shaking stopped. He noticed her computer on the abandoned bed and asked, "you prepping for tomorrow without me?"

"No." she whispered.

"I'll be honest, I haven't looked at anything pertaining to tomorrow's store visit. I'll do my best to spend an hour on it while the game is on before I crash later."

Olivia pulled out of his arms. "No. I wasn't preparing for tomorrow. I was doing a little research."

"Research? On what?" he asked.

"First, tell me what the hell is going on with Samuel. The meeting started out fine and normal, but then it got weird on your part. I need to know what bothered you about it?" It was time to get all the cards on the table again to ensure that we stayed on the same page.

He let go of me and took a deep breath. "Okay, so there were a few red flags during that meeting. Things that made me nervous and wonder about his true loyalty."

"What things?" I asked. I had no idea what he was talking about. But they were friends and I wouldn't know what his odd behavior looked like.

"The first thing I noticed was when I declined his job offer. He said he loves a good take down. We never said anything about taking anyone down."

"It's part of our plan, Fitz." I reminded him.

"But if you remember, we didn't share our plan with him. I was really vague about the plan."

Fitz was right. We didn't tell Samuel what our plan was.

"Turns out that was a good idea because I don't trust his lying ass."

"What were you talking about when you told him that we were going to sue the company?" I was well and truly lost on some of this. I wouldn't have been able to sleep at all with all of these questions floating around in my brain without answers.

"That was an outright lie that I told him to see how far it would go. If we hear about the company sending out a memo about guarding against lawsuits or anything of that nature, we'll know with certainty that Samuel is not on our side."

"That was a good move." I replied.

"It might be easier to learn whose ear he has too?" Fitz suggested.

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion.

"Think about it. If Cyrus comes up with the memo, we'll know he's working with Cyrus on the Toy Box side. If Abby sends one out, we'll know he's in cahoots with Toy Land." he explained.

"That's a really great idea and it makes perfect sense. You know one of them is going to go in self preservation mode to make sure their job is safe no matter what." I said matter of factly.

"There's just one more thing about that whole conversation that just doesn't sit well with me." Fitz began to pace around the room. "I don't know how to explain it to you so that it makes sense but trust me. Something is not right about it. I just don't know what it is or how to prove it."

He was being very strange. Almost secretive, and I didn't know why? "What is it? Whatever it is, we'll figure out how to learn the truth. We've done great so far."

He stopped pacing and looked me in the eye. "I know this is going to sound crazy as hell and you are not going to be a fan. I know it! But trust me, there's something there."

"Well, what is it? I'll help, however I can. Even if I don't like it. And if I don't like it, I'll tell you why. We're a team working on this together and honesty is the key. Talk to me, Fitz."

"I'm not so sure that Abby is as involved in this as we think she is." Fitz said. "I think that maybe Samuel and Cyrus, and whoever is really involved in this, if it's not Abby, are setting her up to take the fall for the whole thing if it comes out."

"What? Are you crazy? That bitch has run in every direction except the right one from the get go. From the time this project started, she has been a thorn on our asses. Riding yours when you weren't good enough. Telling you to outshine me in every way. Pushing you to be better than me all the time. How can you think that she's not part of this?"

"Stop and think about everything that you just said. All of those things are exactly what a boss would tell an underling in a fight for a job promotion."

I started shaking my head in disbelief and began pacing while Fitz stood rock still.

"Riding my ass about the job, telling me to make sure I did everything I could to shine brighter than you, pushing me to be my best on my job. Those are all things that a boss would say to remind their employee of the ultimate goal. And in this case, it was a job promotion. I know she's not my boss, but she is my friend and work advisor. You have to admit that could be what she was doing, Liv."

"No, I don't have to admit that. And I won't admit that because that's not what she was doing." I crossed my arms in front of my chest. How could he think for one minute that Abby was innocent in this? For the first time, we were not on the same page.

He was watching me pace and it was unnerving. "So, you're telling me that out of alllllll those phone calls from Cyrus, he never once told you to be your best, kick my ass, focus on the prize, find my weakness and exploit it in some way?" Fitz scoffed. "Bullshit."

That made me stop. I glared at him. "What did you just say?"

"I said bullshit! Cyrus is a bully and a sore loser. There is no way in hell that he didn't say all of those things to you. Don't deny it. Just be big enough to admit the truth. To me, anyway." He stared at me with his intense blue eyes and wondered why I was acting this way? "Don't give them an inch between us."

Fitz is trustworthy. Fitz is my partner and only ally in this whole fucking mess. Fitz is honesty. Fitz is home. And Fitz was right. "He did. He said all of those things. And I'll admit, when I think about all of that rationally, it does seem like Abby was just pushing you to excel at your job. But you have to admit, Fitz, Abby freaked out when she found out about your initial meeting with Samuel. And then you got a phone call less than an hour later from Stephen? That's more than a little bit odd don't you think?

"I'll give you that one. But as I think back to her behavior and the things she said, it all adds up to her trying to help me attain the promotion from a helpful point of view. I'm not going to stand here and tell you everything she has said or done in business has been right by the book. We all bend it a little bit when it suits us. I'm just saying I don't think she is involved in this."

I thought about it for a minute and thankfully Fitz gave me the silence to do so. I had to admit that given what I had learned before Fitz came into my room, the chances of Abby's involvement were a lot slimmer. We needed to talk about that too. "What does any of this have to do with Samuel though?" I asked. I was still fuzzy on that.

"Remember when he was talking about Abby? He basically told us to go after Abby and take the heat off of Cyrus. Why would he say that? He had already told us that Abby and Cyrus and a few other more powerful players within the companies were involved with this plan." Fitz was in the zone now. Talking out loud to try to see if the things that he had been thinking about since the meeting with Samuel made sense. "What made him think that we wouldn't go after all of them at the same time instead of going after them one by one? It was almost as if he was protecting Cyrus. Why?"

"Maybeeee they are old friends?" I asked with a shrug.

"And if that's the case, shouldn't that scare the hell out of us?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

"It is pretty damn scary when you think about it. It's a good thing that when I came back to the room I started doing some research on Samuel."

Fitz stared at me. "You did?"

"Yea, I can't let you have all the fun. I figured I'd look into his past and see what I could find. I thought if I saw a picture of him and Cyrus, then Cyrus was bound to be his guy. And if I found something on him and Abby, then he was bound to be her guy."

He grinned, put his hands on my cheeks, and gave me a smacking kiss. "You are brilliant." His eyebrows dropped, and his gaze flicked to my laptop and then back to my eyes. "That explains why you were so jumpy when I came in. You found something didn't you, Liv?"

"Yea. I did. Come sit down." We both sat on the made up bed and I explained what I had been up to. "I did a Google search for him and came up with all the stuff we already know about him. Where he works, what he's worth, bla bla bla. The more I looked, the less I found. Until I learned where he went to high school."

He gave me an incredulous look. "The secret to Samuel's past was found in his high school?"

"Don't make fun of it before I tell you what popped up." I pulled the image from his senior year yearbook. "Cute kid. Bad hair style. I looked into his extracurriculars to see what kind of student he was back then."

"And?" Fitz asked impatiently.

"In the ninth grade he was in the chess club. From sophomore year to graduation he dropped chess and played football." I rattled off.

Fitz looked like he was waiting for more information. When nothing came from my lips he dryly said, "that's fascinating."

"After that meaningless information turned up, I'll admit that I entertained myself for a few minutes looking for the wildest hair styles. It was pretty fun. Apparently, greasy hair was a thing in the late seventies. Gross."

"Get to the point, Liv." Fitz challenged.

"When I got back on track, I started looking through the yearbook to see if any familiar faces popped out at me." I explained.

"And one did?" he asked.

"Oh yea. Turns out that Samuel went to school with someone who is involved in our little play."

"What? Who?"

"Look for yourself." She turned the screen to face him and watched him scan the old picture with squinted eyes. Realization hit him like a ton of bricks and he was physically startled.

He pointed at the screen with wide eyes. "That's Stephen, Liv! What the actual fuck?"

"Stephen went to high school with Samuel. It would appear that Samuel is Stephen's guy. That's what the actual fuck. Now you know why I jumped when you came in here."

Fitz shot up off the bed and began pacing.

I didn't want to ask, because I knew what the answer would be. Maybe I asked because I knew Fitz needed to say it out loud for himself. "What are you going to do about Abby? I mean, how are you going to see if she's involved in this somehow?"

"I'm going to have to talk to her. That's going to mean telling her some of the things that we know. It might mean mixing in a little bit of lies in with the truth to see where it goes, if anywhere."

"Are you going to call her?" I already knew how his mind worked and what he had planned even if he hadn't actually made a plan yet.

"I need to see her face to tell if she's lying or not. I'm going to have to make a trip to California and visit her at corporate. If I find out she's not involved, it'll be nice to have one more person in our corner."

I had no reservations that his conversation with her would be an honest and straight forward one, and that Fitz would get to the bottom of everything with her. I had to admit that they did seem to have that kind of relationship. I had noticed it from our very first meeting. Abby would make a fierce ally and we would need that in the midst of all this craziness. "I think you should fly to California Wednesday to talk to her."

"Why Wednesday? I was thinking this weekend. After the announcement. Besides, it would be better if Stephen wasn't around. He'd definitely get suspicious if he saw me back in the office when I'm supposed to be in New York, don't you think?"

"Stephen leaves tomorrow night for the manager's retreat. He's the keynote speaker, remember? You'll be able to talk to Abby without having to look over your shoulder for Stephen. And before you start giving me demands on being careful while you're gone, I'm going with you. That's non negotiable."

 **Fitz's POV**

I slept really well for the first time in a while. Most of it was due to the fact that I moved my stuff into Olivia's room and slept with her. Having her glued to my side all night was a comfort that I had been missing. I didn't feel her stir at all either and was thankful that she had slept well too. Another part of the reason that I was exhausted was that I was tired of trying to keep up with everything that was going on around me. I let it all go for the night and enjoyed some rest.

The timing couldn't have been better to have a scheduled store visit. All of the players in this little game would know exactly where we were and what we were doing. They would never expect us to make a surprise flight out of New York to California to take care of some business there. We hadn't even called Abby to make sure she would, in fact, be in her office when we dropped in unannounced.

We wrapped up our visit, happy to know it had gone exactly as planned and perfectly well. We cleaned up the remnants of the refreshments in the stock room and made our way out to the rental car that was sitting at the far end of the store parking lot. We both got inside and headed for the airport, keeping an eye out for anyone following us. I had a feeling that they had served their purpose to their boss and were not going to be spotted again.

The flight itself was fairly uneventful. It gave Olivia and I time to talk about what I planned to discuss with Abby. For me, there wasn't a lot that I wasn't willing to tell her. I honestly felt that she was not involved in all of this craziness, but the conversation would give me all the answers that I needed. I looked out the small window next to me. The sky was clear, and the sun was out. Perfect weather for flying back home and confronting a friend about their possible activities in a work scheme.

Olivia's voice broke through my thoughts. "I know she's your co worker and friend. And that's why I think it would be better if I wasn't there at all."

I turned my head to look at her with a frown. "There's nothing I have to say to Abby that I can't say in front of you." I explained.

"I know that. But I think she'll be more apt to open up to you if I wasn't there." I opened my mouth to tell Olivia how crazy that was, but she cut me off. "Think about it from her point of view. She's not going to discuss conspiracies or point fingers at anyone who works in my company if I'm standing right there, Fitz. Especially not after you inform her that they are going to give the promotion to me. She's going to need to feel comfortable. Going to her office gives her a great deal of that. Being able to talk freely about any and everything is what we need from her. I just don't think she's going to give you that if I'm standing there."

I thought about that. Olivia was right, of course. She had been with me through all of this and we were a team. A united one. I didn't want her to feel left out of anything at all if I could possibly help it. I also didn't want to fly all the way across the nation to have Abby clam up at me either. "Where are you going to be while I'm talking with Abby?"

She gave me a shrug and a smile. "I'll probably hang out in your office?"

"That works. I'll come and get you after I'm done."

We rode in the elevator up to my office and stepped out, making a left. My secretary wasn't at her desk, which I found odd but was thankful for at the same time. I held the door open, letting Olivia walk in first and then I followed. I pulled the door closed and went to my desk to see if anything had been disturbed since the last time I had been there. Nothing seemed out of place.

I glanced at my watch and told Olivia, "I'm going to go get this over with. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

"I'll be fine. I'll probably just take a nap or something." She came to stand directly in front of me and wound her arms around my neck. "Come here and let me give you a kiss for courage."

I smiled down at this sweet thoughtful little woman. It was no wonder I was head over heels in love with her. I needed for all of this crazy shit at work to stop so I could finally propose to her. I couldn't wait to make her my wife. I'd be the best damned husband anyone ever had. I leaned down and lightly touched my lips to hers and held her close.

I left my office and headed towards Abby's. I took a deep breath before I knocked lightly and opened the door to Abby's office. She called out, "come in" as I made my way through the door. I looked over at her desk and discovered she was on the phone with her back to the door. Perfect. I closed the door behind me before she could screech or yell at me for not being where I was supposed to be. I sat down in one of her chairs and heard her say, "sounds good. I'll be in touch with you soon."

She turned around in her chair and her eyes went wide the moment they landed on me. "What in the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be in New York! Are you crazy?"

I smiled and answered her honestly. "I'm beginning to think that I am."

"Why aren't you at work? Did something happen? Is it your parents?" She sputtered. "Well?!"

"Relax, Abby. Number one..."

Jesus. I was beginning to sound like Olivia.

"We already went to work today. Everything went great. We killed it like we always do. Number two, nothing is wrong with my parents as far as I know. I haven't checked in with them. I came here straight from the airport. To see you and talk to you."

"You couldn't skype with me from New York?" she demanded.

"Actually, I couldn't. This is important." I patiently explained.

"What is so important that you had to fly almost three thousand miles to talk to me about?" She put her hand on her hips and said, "Well? Speak up!"

"It's about the merger between us and the Toy Box." I said quietly. "I want to know exactly how involved you are with it." That shut her up. I watched her close her mouth and stare at me. I had seen that look on her face before. She was thinking of what to tell me. "I don't want to company line, or some made up bullshit, Abby. I want the truth. It's important."

"How does anything that I have done when it comes to this merger affect you?" she asked disbelievingly.

I sighed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

I got up out of the chair and began pacing. "Okay. For starters, I've had some creepy little guy tailing me and Olivia for at least the past two days that I'm aware of."

"What? Seriously!"

"Seriously."

"Why would anyone be tailing you?"

"Good question. I have my suspicions, but I can't prove anything yet." I studied her face. She wasn't giving anything away and I couldn't tell if she was asking out of curiosity or was genuinely surprised. She had always been a tough woman to crack. It was what made her so good at her job and it was why I had trusted her all these years.

Abby wasn't shaken yet. A tail was a hinderance, but I was here alive and whole so nothing bad had come of it. I needed to shake her a little bit. "I know that Olivia will be awarded the promotion of regional vice president at the end of the week."

That did the trick.

Her eyes narrowed to slits and she started stalking my way with a pointed index finger. She jabbed her finger into my chest and loudly demanded, "how in the hell do you know that information?"

I stuck my hands in my pockets, rocked back on my heels, and smiled at her. "It's been a hell of a week, Abs."

"I demand to know who told you that? It's classified information on a need to know basis!"

"Apparently, Cyrus thought Olivia needed to know? So, he told her."

"I knew that man was an asshole! He's too smug for his own good! And he talks too damn much. "She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm sure you were the first person Olivia told. And naturally you've told your parents, who have told the entire state of California. What a fucking mess!"

"You don't know the half of it." I replied mildly as I plopped back down into a chair. "But to satisfy your curiosity. Olivia didn't tell me the minute she found out. She waited a few days before sharing the news with me. And I haven't told a soul. I'm not an idiot, Abby. I've just been treated like one around here for the past several years. My question is why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have said anything."

"Yea right. I can see how well that secret was guarded by your girlfriend when she was told the news." she scoffed.

Call it a hunch or wishful thinking, but I felt like I could still trust her. I knew I was going out on a limb, but I started talking anyway. "Listen. I'm here to ask the questions and get the answers from you. Not the other way around. So, sit down and shut the hell up. It's been a helluva week and I'm in no mood for your shit."

"Where has this guy been the past ten years?" Abby muttered.

I ignored her barb and got right to it. "Did you know Cyrus before this merger took place?"

She scowled at me. "Of course not."

Wanting to keep her on her toes, I asked, "Did you know I was up for the promotion of regional vice president a few years ago?" I watched her open her mouth, close it, and stare at me. I knew she was thinking over what she would say.

"I...did." She said with a shrug.

"What the fuck, Abby?" I demanded as I got to my feet. "Why wasn't I considered for it then?" Hearing the words from her mouth might settle the anger I felt about being overlooked for the job back then.

"You were qualified for it in every way. But...some people thought you were better suited to stay where you were until you got a little more experience under your belt."

"You mean Stephen?" I challenged.

"How do you know about that anyways?" she asked.

"I know a great deal about lots of things I didn't know before. Just keep answering the questions. When did you find out about the merger?"

"Mmmm, about six months ago. Stephen told me about it. I told you when your road trip had been decided upon."

"Did you know that Sammy was going to offer me a job?"

"What?" Her face displayed pure outrage. "That bastard! Whatever he offered you don't want to accept it, Fitz."

"I don't? Why not?" I couldn't wait to hear her reasons.

"Because he is crooked as hell. And if you go to work for him, you'll end up crooked as hell too. I would hate to see that happen to one of the good guys."

"How do you know I'm one of the good guys, Abby?"

"Because you took the time out of your busy schedule to fly out here and meet with me to get some things straightened out. No one does that. Either you think you know something or you're trying to prove that you do. You're not back in California for kicks. I'm here to help any way that I can. But you cannot work with Samuel Coleman! He will screw you over."

"I know that. It's why I already declined his offer." I said with a grin. "But I still have questions and I need answers to them. I don't know if I can trust you entirely. I want to, but I don't know if it's wishful thinking or what I truly believe? I'm running out of options though."

"Ask me anything. I may have hidden the promotion from you years ago, but I have never lied to you. Not once. Why are you really here, Fitz?"

"I'm really here because Olivia and I were pegged against each other for this promotion and thrown out onto this ridiculous road trip for entertainment."

"No one thought the two of you were going to fall for each other. You're as different as night and day. Where does she think you are, by the way?" Abby asked.

"She knows where I am because we don't lie to each other."

"Good for both of you." Abby said dryly. "Did she tell you that she called me for some girl talk the other night?"

I made a face at her. "Do you even do girl talk?"

"Exactly! Thank you!" she exclaimed.

We were getting way off topic somehow. I was tired of all the tiptoeing around. "Look, Sammy was the one who made me aware that I had been mentioned for this promotion several years ago. He seemed like a solid guy. He had lots of inside information about the goings on of both companies. I fell for it hook line and sinker. He told me just enough information that I would think he was a good guy. It almost worked too. Olivia and I had a meeting with him late last night and my opinion of him drastically changed."

"What happened?"

"Several things. But the one that stood out the most to me was when he said that I needed to go after you."

"Me?" she shrieked. "Why me?"

"Good question. I made up some bullshit story saying that we were going to sue the company. Sammy said you were the one who was the leader of everything that pertained to Olivia and me and this merger. He said that you were the one who called Cyrus and got the ball rolling with the competition between us."

"That fucking asshat! He's lying!" Abby yelled.

"I...figured that out." I said, nodding my head. "It didn't add up. Sammy didn't realize that I know you better than practically anyone else in the company."

Abby wrinkled her nose.

"Not like that. Believe me. You've been crystal clear about the line in our friendship. I'm not interested in you romantically anyway. But I do know you. And the moment he said that you only look out for number one, he had no idea what the hell he was talking about. No one has been as patient or helpful to me in my job than you have."

"Why are you telling me all of this if you're not sure if you can trust me? Seems counterproductive to me?"

"Up until last night, I hadn't planned to tell you shit. I was going to demand answers to vague questions. But then Olivia did some digging of her own. She found out that Sammy and Stephen went to high school together."

"That's a weird coincidence."

"My belief in coincidences ended last night. As much as I don't trust Cyrus, I trust Stephen even less. I wanted to believe that he was someone I could trust, and you were...well, just you. And part of that is true. You are you. You haven't changed. But the fact that Stephen and Sammy went to high school together is a connection. I think the two of them are up to something. I plan on finding out what it is and taking them both down. Bringing Cyrus down with them would be a nice little bonus." I explained.

"Oh. That's all you hope to accomplish. Nothing hard then." she said dryly.

"That promotion that Olivia and I have been pitted against each other for? We are going to split the duties and responsibilities of it but we're not splitting the paycheck."

"Piece of cake."

"Anything less than that position having a co in front of the title, and both of us walk. You can continue to work with Stephen and Cyrus and all of you can kiss our asses and no longer be our problem. Olivia and I could use an ally here, Abs. Everyone else has decided to walk on the dark side. You're either with us or you're against us. If Olivia and I stay, we take down both Stephen and Cyrus. Those crazy bastards have gotta go!"

"Oh, I'm with you. But what about Sammy?" she asked.

"You can do whatever you want to do to him." I said grinning at her. It felt good to have her on our side. We were going to kick their asses and they wouldn't even know what hit them.

"This is why you're my favorite, Fitz." she said, returning the grin. "He's going down too somehow."


	28. Trust Me

_I know that this story got dark & weird for a bit. For that, I feel like I owe my readers an apology. I got some advice on this story at one point when I was stuck, and wrote the suggestion I was given. And then I didn't know how to get out of the hole I had dug myself in. I am hoping that this chapter is a decent sized first step in getting myself out of that hole. Let me know what you think. I genuinely appreciate anyone who is still reading this story & those who have encouraged me in fixing it._

 **Trust Me**

 **Fitz's POV**  
The first thing I did when we got back to New York was set up a meeting with human resources at The Toy Box. I had decided that the time for planning was over. It was time for action. Our meeting with them was going to be an intense one, but I had done my homework and knew what Olivia and I would need to bring with us.

Since we wanted the announcement for regional vice president to be put off a little longer, Olivia and I scheduled our meeting with human resources for the day before it was to be made. We assumed it would buy us some time to present our idea of a shared RVP within the company to the top brass. We assumed correctly.

Olivia and I shared our version of conversations and documentation we had each had with our twisted superiors. She went first. "First of all, I have been with this company for a number of years. I started working as a cashier in a store when I was still in high school and worked my way up in the company. I was the youngest store manager in the company's history and I did above and beyond what was asked of me. My record is spotless.

I was told a few months ago by Mr. Beene that I was going on a road trip to cover Mr. Grant's territory in California. I wasn't given a choice. It was demanded that I go. I didn't make a fuss about it or say a negative thing when I was told. But I will say this now – any number of people with far less experience than I have could have very easily completed the task.

That being said, I have emails, voice mails, and text messages all from my boss, Cyrus Beene, in which he speaks to me in a derogatory manner while I was out on this road trip. He wanted me to spotlight Mr. Grant's weaknesses..."

I tuned her voice out. I had to for a few moments. I knew that Cyrus didn't play by the rules. He came across as someone who thought he was above the rules. But hearing Olivia admit to the things he asked her to do was a little more difficult than I thought it might be. He really was a bastard for putting her in that position. Remembering that this wasn't about me, I shook out the dark thoughts and gave Olivia my full attention.

"...he outright accused me of having a sexual relationship with Mr. Grant and was vulgar, blatantly so about the things he assumed and insisted we were doing shortly after we met. I will admit that Mr. Grant and I are currently in a relationship, but that was disclosed to Mr. Beene and Mr. Finch once it began. Both Mr. Grant and I are well aware of the policy on dating within the company. And while there was nothing inappropriate going on between us since we were just co-workers, that relationship was heading in a different direction since one of us was going to be the other one's superior when the road trip was over and an announcement was to be made. And for that reason, we disclosed it. Here is a copy of that signed document. Please notice the date on it because at the time the accusations came from Mr. Beene, the relationship Mr. Grant and I shared was a strictly platonic and professionally work related one."

I sat there in silence immensely proud of her. If she ever wanted a career change, Olivia would make a hell of a lawyer. A few more questions were lobbed at her and then they wanted to question me. They asked me about Cyrus but focused their line of questioning to me about Stephen. I had more information on him because he was my boss. I told them everything about my initial meeting with Samuel which led to the one I attended with Olivia. The details of that meeting were shared as well as the information Olivia had discovered about Samuel and Stephen attending the same high school together. There were moments when talking about all of it out loud seemed legitimately alarming or ridiculously insane. I glanced over at the human resource reps to see how they were taking it.

We got a lot of silent head nods and concerned looks from the folks in human resources but that was about it. But when we played our ace – the fact that Cyrus had shared with Olivia the news that she had been awarded the as yet unannounced position of regional vice president – that was when we got their full attention. They asked her the date she had been told that confidential information and Olivia provided it. She showed them where she had gotten a phone call from Cyrus on the same date she had stated. One of them stepped out of the room and returned soon after, hurriedly escorting us out into the hall.

We sat there outside their office knowing full well that they were discussing the validity of the news we had shared. The person who had left the room had most likely placed a phone call, probably to Cyrus himself, to corroborate the truth of it. We silently sat shoulder to shoulder and waited to be invited back inside.

"What do you think they will do?" Olivia asked me.

I had no way of knowing for sure, but I had a guess. "I don't know. Probably slap him on the wrist and send him back to work."

"This is so frustrating. Why do the bad guys keep winning?" I shook my head back and forth and shrugged. I didn't have an answer for her. The door opened and the two of us were ushered back inside.

Once we returned to the meeting, the vibe in the room was completely different. They were much more interested and talkative. They wanted to know everything; dates, times, and places that our conversations with our superiors took place. We provided every scrap of information they requested. And then some.

Olivia had reached out to her managers before our meeting and inquired if any of them had ever experienced anything other than professionalism from Cyrus. Many never replied. A few had responded in the negative and their feedback was astounding. The common theme was that Cyrus had been rude – no surprise there. A few reluctantly admitted that Cyrus had spoken to them about taking Olivia's job. That could easily be explained away, especially since she was up for a promotion and her position would need to be filled by someone knowledgeable. One manager, however, reported that Cyrus had made unwanted sexual advances towards him, despite his repeated vocal and sometimes downright rude way of telling the older man he was not interested. He, along with the other managers who had come forward had meetings with human resources later the same week.

Human resources made a formal request for our road trip of visiting stores to be put on hold indefinitely. They also decided to launch a workplace investigation on Cyrus for violation of company policies, breach of trust, unethical behavior, and several other things. I wondered if being a complete and utter asshole was a reason they could add to the list but thought it best to not ask. In my mind he was guilty of it and no one could tell me differently.

That had been three weeks ago.

Human resources hadn't gathered enough information to warrant firing Stephen from his position. He was verbally reprimanded by his boss for his questionable behavior. We were crushed when we learned that he would still be slithering through the halls and making shady deals with people like Samuel to his own benefit. We would keep a closer eye on him and document and report any wrong doing.

Apparently, the folks at human resources had gotten more than enough information from the people they spoke to on the opposite coast because yesterday afternoon Cyrus was escorted off the property with a box in his arms, and an angry expression on his face. Olivia's secretary had called her cell phone and reported the whole thing. She ended the call and stared at me dumbfoundedly. "Cyrus just got fired." she had mumbled.

"What?!" I was genuinely surprised at the news. "When?"

"A couple of officers just escorted him out to the street. He's finally gone." She had walked into my arms and held on tight. I could feel the tension leave her body as she clung to me.

Cyrus being fired was finally the bit of good news that Olivia and I desperately needed. He was terrible at his job and a terrible human being. I felt no remorse for his removal from the company. I hoped it would give Olivia and I some much needed breathing room to keep the positive momentum going.

We were feeling bolder and requested a meeting with Cyrus' superior to present our idea for us to share the position of regional vice president. We were on the schedule for the following afternoon.

Early the next morning I received a phone call from Abby. She sounded like she was in shock and was whispering into the phone, making it very hard for me to hear some of what she said. I had to ask her more than once to repeat the information she had shared with me. "He's gone. I...I just can't believe it."

"Who's gone?" I asked.

"Stephen."

I held the phone tighter in my hand. "What do you mean gone, Abby? Where'd he go?" Olivia stood in front of me with a questioning expression. She mouthed the word 'who', but I held up my index finger and listened harder to Abby's voice.

"He came in this morning just like any other work day. I said 'good morning' to him just like I always did, but he didn't reply. He seemed...distant. Maybe distracted is a better word? I dunno. He went into his office and shut the door behind him. When I went to talk to him about an issue we're having in production, I noticed his secretary was away from her desk."

"How do you get that Stephen is gone from a missing secre...?"

"Shut up for a minute. Let me talk." She said in a monotone voice. "I left and came back an hour later hoping to catch him in his office. Sheila was still gone. That seemed weird. To have missed her twice in a morning? I knocked on Stephen's door but didn't get an answer. So, I walked over to his boss's office and asked him where Stephen or Sheila were at."

"What'd he say?" I asked.

"He said that Stephen sent him an email from his office not long after he got to work saying he quit. It was all very polite and formal, but that he quit. Effective immediately. And no one has seen him since then."

I sank into a nearby chair and thought about Abby's words. The only thing that made any sense at all was that it must have shaken Stephen up to know that we were onto him. That we weren't scared of going through the proper channels to take action against his reprehensible behavior. That he wasn't quite as untouchable as he probably thought he was. "Wow." I breathed out. "Are you okay?"

"Hell no I'm not okay! A man that I worked closely with for years is just...gone? Does that mean that all that shit you had on him was true? Or did he get a better job offer somewhere else?"

"That would be quite a coincidence with the timing, wouldn't it, Abs? I think we have to admit that we didn't know Stephen quite as well as we thought we did."

"Yea. The whole thing is wild as hell. It's really thrown me for a loop." she admitted.

"If it's any consolation, Cyrus got fired yesterday."

"Whoa! Are you serious? What happened? They find out he was certifiably batshit crazy?"

"Turns out he was hiding a lot more than even we uncovered. Liv's managers knew some things and once HR heard the details, he was let go rather quickly."

"That's two big bosses gone in as many days. You don't usually see that kind of turnover in the corporate world. The company is going to be scrambling to find people to fill those positions."

"It's your time to step up, Abby."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, this is your opportunity to go after Stephen's job. You're qualified and knowledgeable. You're a natural choice and perfect fit." I wanted to see good things happen for her but knew she would need a little encouraging to go after it.

"Ohhhhh no! There's no way that I could possibly..."

"Shut up and let me talk." I replied with a grin. "You would be great in that position. Everyone already respects you and your work speaks for itself. You can do this. You should do this."

"You really think I could?"

She sounded so unsure of herself and I hated to know that I had questioned her loyalty too. Knowing she was as solid as they come made me even more determined to help her see that she would be a shoo in for the job. "Just talk to Dan about it. Tell him you're interested in the job and to keep you in mind when he gets to the place of looking for Stephen's replacement."

"Thanks, Fitz. It's good to have you back on my side."

"Look, I love working with you, but I'm not interested in you. We're friends and that's it. Got it?" I grinned into the phone.

She chuckled lightly. "Got it. When are you coming back home? I already heard that the road trip has been cancelled. There's nothing holding you in New York anymore."

I looked over at Olivia and reached for her hand, which she took and held on to. "Actually, there is."

"You're not planning to live in New York just for a woman, are you?"

"For your information, I have a very important meeting with some executives about my own job later today. I need to get that settled before I can make any decisions about my permanent address situation."

"Give 'em hell, Fitz. Don't accept anything less than what you want. After what you and Olivia have accomplished with the human resources investigation, they should be more than willing to give you just about anything." she advised. "And if you need any assistance from someone in a position of more authority than either one of you, just let me know. I'll go to bat for you."

"Thanks, Abs. That really means a lot. To both of us." I ended the call and set my phone down. Looking at Olivia I said, "Stephen quit his job. He left this morning."

"Seems like the company might have some moral ground back under their feet again? I'm glad to have all of this ugliness behind us finally."

"Me too." I replied. "What do you think will come from our meeting today?"

She smiled at me. "I like our chances of getting what we want a lot more today than I did last week."

"I feel exactly the same way. I don't want to jinx it or anything, but I'm feeling pretty confident that this will swing in our favor."

"And then what?"

"What do you mean and then what?" I asked.

"Say we get the job exactly how we want it. Shared responsibilities. Same hours. Same pay. Then what? Are you going back to your house in California? To the routine of your life before you met me? Are we going to attempt long distance dating? What are your plans?"

"I have plans." I said sarcastically. "Big ones. And you...you don't need to know what they all are right this minute."

"Do you think you might fill me in on these big plans anytime soon?" she asked with an equal amount of sarcasm.

She was so damned adorable that I wanted to fill her in on my plans right now. But we needed to get over our last major hurdle. That would make things a lot less stressful. For me anyways. "As soon as our meeting is over this afternoon, we'll talk about some of those plans. Is that acceptable to you, Liv?"

"Not really. But it's a good place to start." she replied.

It was the answer I expected from her. Full of sarcasm as well as hope. It was the perfect reflection of the woman I was head over heels in love with. I felt the small square box in my pocket. It seemed bigger and I felt sure that Olivia knew it was there somehow even though that was an impossibility. If that meeting went the way I anticipated it to go, that ring would no longer be sitting in the velvet box by the end of the week, but on Olivia's left hand ring finger.

 **Olivia's POV**  
He was acting weird. I could tell there was something on his mind, but I wasn't sure what it was. It was a safe bet that it had everything to do with the work related craziness that we had been going through. I was starting to think that a week away would be a great idea for both of us and voiced that to Fitz. "Hypothetically speaking, what do you think about just taking some time to get away together for a while. Away from everything."

"Where would you want to go on this hypothetical trip?" he asked with a smirk.

I closed my eyes and immediately mental pictures of warm sandy beaches filled my head. "The beach."

"Which beach? There are beaches everywhere." I heard him say.

I felt his arms come around my waist and I smiled. "A beach we've never been to before. Some place tropical and very far away."

"Mmmm, and very secluded. I'm going to want to have sex with you everywhere on this hypothetical beach."

My eyes popped open wide. "Let's do it. Let's get away for a week. Just pack a bag and escape for seven peaceful non working days together. Please say yes. You know we deserve it."

He looked at me with a faraway smile. A few moments later he said, "I wish we could, Liv. Just hop on a plane and fly wherever you want to go and forget about everything we've just been through and everyone involved."

I put my arms around his neck. "But we can." I pleaded. "It really is that easy."

"No, it isn't. And we can't."

"Why can't we? Give me one good reason." I was whining like a petulant child and hating myself for it. Kind of.

He leaned down and kissed my nose. "Because we have a meeting scheduled with the higher ups very shortly where we are going to do everything but beg for them to split a job in half that was only meant for one person to do. It wouldn't look very good if we called from the Caribbean and cancelled now would it?"

"But it's the Caribbean." I hated it when he was the voice of reason. I hated it more when he made sense. I rolled my eyes and pouted, my last effort in swaying him.

He chuckled lightly at me before leaning down and quickly capturing my extended lip between his teeth. He slowly released it and swiped his tongue across my lip to ease the sting. "Let's just get through this meeting and see what happens from there. One of us will hypothetically need to be looking for a job if they say no."

"Yea, another meeting sounds like fun too." I said dryly.

Fitz dug his fingers into my sides until I shrieked and said, "they aren't going to say no though. I have a good feeling about it."

Once again, we stood outside the doors of yet another conference room. I hoped that this was the last meeting we would have to be a part of for quite a while. I was really reaching my max on meetings. Fitz linked our hands together as we faced the closed door and took a deep breath. He glanced over at me and gave me that stupid lopsided smile. He knew that smile always brought one to my lips as well. He was too cute for his own good sometimes.

"A kiss for courage?" I offered.

He winked at me. "Maybe later. This part is a piece of cake."

I didn't understand that at all since the meeting was right now, but I released his hand and followed him into the room just the same. The two of us shook hands with the three ladies and one man who were in the room. These four people made up our supervisors at work. Our now non-existent bosses' bosses. Pleasantries were the only things that had been said and the room already felt highly charged with tension. Fitz and I had been over this numerous times already and were completely comfortable with what we were asking for. I took a deep breath and remembered that fact before taking the seat that was offered to me.

"First, we would like to say thank you to you both for being brave enough to come forward with the information that you had on your supervisors. I'm sure that some of it was hard to disclose to a room of human resource representatives, but you handled it beautifully from what I've read. I'm sure it's hard to realize that a person you've worked side by side with for a long time isn't who the same person they appeared to be at work. I know you are both after the same promotion, but until it's settled, I can't imagine how difficult it is to not have an immediate supervisor to discuss things of job importance with."

"Thank you." I replied. "It was very difficult to be the one to bring the information forward that we had. We never wanted anyone to lose their job, but we couldn't remain silent in the situation any longer either. Your support means a lot to both Mr. Grant and I."

"Now that the ugliness has been dealt with, what brings the two of you to this meeting?"

Fitz and I looked at each other and he gestured for me to begin. "Well, as you mentioned, both Mr. Grant and I are both up for the promotion of regional vice president."

"Right. That decision was temporarily put off due to the HR investigation. We are aware that the decision had been made known to you, Miss Pope before it should have been. It's something we are keeping in mind as we begin to look over the vast amount of information and make that decision ourselves."

"Yes. We have discussed the situation at great length and Mr. Grant and I would both very much like the position, naturally. We would like to present you with an alternative idea to giving the job to one of us." I explained.

"What kind of alternative idea, Miss Pope?"

"Well, we would both like to see the position become a shared one." I knew they would have questions about that statement. It was about to become Fitz's turn to talk for a while now.

"I'm afraid I don't understand. A shared position?"

"Yes ma'am." Fitz began. "Miss Pope and I are well versed on what the promotion entails. We know what is expected of the person who gets the job and we know how to go about getting it done. Either one of us would be fantastic in that position. But we want, and believe wholeheartedly, that it could easily become a co regional vice presidential position. A job for two people to split the responsibilities."

"And how exactly would that work?"

"One of us would take the west coast and the other would take the east coast. We would do the job on both coasts, but both retain the title, responsibilities, and pay of the RVP. If either of us needs to be out for an extended period of time, the other one would be well versed in what needs to be done because we will have kept each other up to date on our side of things. One person could handle any issues that come up while the other one out is away. It's a win win situation for the company if you think about it." Fitz explained.

Four faces looked at us with questioning looks. "You say that you both will get paid the same amount. How is that a win win for the company when it will be shelling out double the money than originally intended?"

It was a good question, and one we anticipated from the beginning. We had the answer covered. "The company will be paying for the knowledge and expertise we already have. There are more than twenty five years of service and loyalty to this company between the two of us. We are well known to all of our managers, and now, thanks to the road trip we were forced to endure, the managers who aren't in either one of our areas know us as well. More, they trust us. We created new contacts with those managers. Mine met and felt comfortable with Olivia and hers felt the same way about me. And again, we would be running both coasts, which in reality, would be a two person job in any other company.

The amount of money the company would save in airfare alone for a single person to fly back and forth across the nation to check on things when necessary or put out fires practically pays for the salary of the second person. Everything becomes very hands on for the two of us. It's the way we prefer it, truth be told. We are easily accessible to the people we are getting paid to help because we are so close in proximity. It's a natural fit for me to run things on the West Coast and Olivia to run things on the East Coast.

Another benefit for the company is that it wouldn't have to pay another person a salary should one of us become seriously ill. In other words, no one would need to step in as interim, because there are already two of us. We can cover for each other without issue."

"What you are referring to is called job sharing. In those types of situations, two people split the work week. There aren't two people working forty hour weeks as you are suggesting for both of you. How can you justify that expense?"

Fitz smiled at me and answered the question. "We love our jobs and we love working for the company. However, I would be willing and interested in taking Mondays off where Olivia would prefer to have Fridays off. It gives us a thirty two hour work week instead of a full forty. We can still retain our health benefits while working one less day per week. Compromise can be a beautiful thing."

"You are quite the salesman, Mr. Grant. If you ever tire of your current position, you should consider going onto the sales floor."

"No thank you. I'm quite happy right where I am and I've worked hard to get there." He looked at all four of the faces staring at us. "We know it's a bit unorthodox for the two of us to make this request, but after everything we have been through recently, we've learned that there's no time for meekness. The worst you can do is say no to what we are asking. That's not the end of the world for us. But you should know that we both feel that we deserve this promotion. No one has come knocking on our doors wanting to hire us, but we will seek employment elsewhere if this isn't a direction the company wants to go. We want to stay. Please understand that. But we are done being used as puppets by people in positions of power over us."

"Those people have been removed from the company. There is no reason you should worry about that happening again. HR has already begun to make themselves more accessible to the employees who may feel wary about coming to them with an issue such as the one the two of you just went through. There's no need for threats."

"This isn't a threat. We don't want to leave the jobs that we have worked so hard to hold onto and thoroughly enjoy. But we know our worth. And we know that other companies would hire us and show how much they value our worth with a much greater pay scale." Fitz spread his hands, palms up. "We are merely asking that the company that we have put our blood, sweat, and tears into sees that same value and gives us what we want. As a token of appreciation."

"A token of appreciation?"

Fitz and I nodded.

"You're asking for quite a large token."

"Did you know that I was up for the RVP job four years ago? I was. But my name was never mentioned for consideration because my boss was happy with where I was at." Fitz sat up straighter in his chair. "Can you imagine being passed over for a promotion that you are qualified for simply because your boss wanted to keep you where you were? It was difficult for me to understand it when I found out about that recently too.

So now, four years later, I'm finally being seriously considered for the job and yet I'm still feeling looked over. It would make any other person want to walk away. But I'm still here. I'm just offering you an alternative fresh idea for the promotion. The company is newly merged, so I know the money is there to pay both of us the bump in salary. All you have to do is say yes."

The four executives exchanged looks with each other. Murmurs were heard until one of them said, "Would the two of you kindly step out into the hall so we could discuss this please?"

"Absolutely." I answered. Fitz put his hand on my back and guided me out the door, closing it behind him. I sighed heavily. "That was intense."

"It was. I think we handled ourselves very well. Making a list of possible questions they would ask was a great idea on your part, Liv. They asked almost every single one that you mentioned. We had good answers for them too."

"I think it's a good sign that they didn't flat out say no and ask us to leave." I replied. "At least I'm taking it as a good sign."

"I agree. And even if they say no, at least we will know that they gave it some serious thought. That matters at this point. It matters quite a bit."

"I hate the waiting though."

Fitz reached over and took my hand, giving it a little squeeze. "Don't stress. I told you, I have a good feeling about this one."

Twenty minutes later we were called back inside. "Miss Pope, Mr. Grant. We spoke with each other about your job sharing proposal. It's a great idea and the way the two of you are willing to compromise spoke volumes. The fact of the matter is you are both equally qualified for the job promotion. You are both well spoken, well trained, and very personable. In short, we were given the authority to approve your request."

Fitz and I smiled at each other proudly. We had accomplished what we had set out to do. All of the planning had paid off it seemed. I was feeling on top of the world and was ready to sign a contract to make all of it official!

"But..." She let that one little word linger there for a moment. That one little word was rarely a good thing when said by itself.

One of the others continued the thought. "But we do have some real concerns. We are going to need to discuss those concerns and get some assurances about them before we can consider saying yes."

"What kind of concerns?" I asked.

"Well, the fact of the matter is that the two of you disclosed that you are in a romantic relationship with each other. I'm assuming you are still in that relationship?"

"We are." I said confidently.

The only man cleared his throat and said, "the fact that you are in a relationship with each other is a good thing. The fact that you are in a relationship with each other and plan on working together full time doing the same job, could be detrimental."

"How so?" Fitz asked.

"How well are the two of you going to work together if your relationship ends? Or ends badly? Are you still going to be able to update each other on the phone or in person about business matters in a professional manner? Without hurt feelings getting in the way?"

"This partnership started off professionally. I assure you, we did just fine back then, crossing no boundaries whatsoever." I firmly stated.

"This isn't going to be an issue. I can personally guarantee it." Fitz said.

"You say that now, Mr. Grant. But how can you be so sure?"

Fitz glanced over at me and then back to the person asking the question. "Without being rude to Miss Pope, I can only answer your question if she leaves the room."

Four heads turned in my direction.

What the hell was he talking about? Surely, he wasn't pulling a fast one on me? I had no idea what Fitz could say to these people that he couldn't say in my presence. I stared at him thoroughly confused.

The man cleared his throat once again. "Ummm, Miss Pope? If you could excuse us for a moment? We really do need an answer for this before we can make our final decision."

"It's okay, Liv." Fitz said standing up and walking me to the door.

"What are you doing?" I demanded in a whispered voice.

He looked into my eyes. "Trust me. That's all I need from you."

I nodded and left the room, closing the door behind me. I sat out in the hall in the chair I had vacated not even ten minutes ago as wild thoughts tried to make their way into my brain. I kept chanting the words that Fitz had left me with.

Trust me

Of course, I trusted him. I trusted Fitz more than anyone else. I had zero doubts about whatever he was telling or explaining to them. I just wanted to know what it was. The door opened a few minutes later and Fitz ushered me into the room. We sat down in front of our four hosts.

One of the women smiled and said, "we'd like to offer you and Mr. Grant the job of co regional vice president. We'll have a contract drawn up and ready for your signatures by early next week. Congratulations to you both."

We all stood up and Fitz and I shook their hands. On the inside I was happily screaming 'we got the job!' but on the outside I just smiled and told each of them "thank you so much."

Fitz and I left the room, exited the building, and headed towards the car. Once outside, I squealed loudly, causing Fitz to chuckle. He pulled me into his arms and spun me around right there in the parking lot as I giggled. When he finally put me back on my feet I asked, "wait! What did you have to tell them that I couldn't hear?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he teased with a big grin and started making his way to the car.

"Uhhh, yea! It's why I asked."

"I promise to tell you very soon. Right now, though it's time to celebrate our promotion, Madam co president!" He opened my door for me and was grinning like a little kid as I looked at him with the door between us as we stood on opposite sides of it.

"This is gonna go to your head for a while, isn't it?" I asked with a grin of my own.

"Oh yea! Most definitely."

"Let's go celebrate then, Mr. Co president." I leaned his way and he leaned mine. Our lips met in the middle in a soft kiss as a warm breeze blew around us. Things were finally looking up for us and it gave me a warm feeling much like the summer season. New things were coming our way and I knew we would handle them head on together and stronger than ever.


	29. Day One

**Day One**

 **Olivia's POV**  
Who knew that a new office could also give a person a new perspective? I am currently sitting behind my desk in my newly decorated co regional vice president office and feeling very optimistic about the future. It feels like for the very first time in a long time, I can breathe easy. There aren't crazy people trying to take us down. No one is stalking us everywhere we go. Fitz and I got the shared promotion just like we wanted. And while everything might not be in a perfect place, it is in a good place. For me, that is enough.

Fitz stayed in New York to help me unpack my office two floors up from where my old office had been. The company insisted that the movers do it, but it was something I wanted to be very hands on about and did it myself. I gave the movers the joy of packing up my old office, so that was something. I hated the packing up part anyways.

Besides, I wanted my new office to look as much like my previous one had been so that I could imagine the brief time Fitz and I spent together in it. Every day if I wanted to. Even now, I eyed my desk and ran my hand across the smooth wooden surface of it as a devious smile crossed my face. Memories of being face down on this desk with Fitz right behind me talking dirty floated through my head.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, pulling my hand away from the polished furniture. I had to stop thinking things like that. It made me miss him that much more. It was hard enough that he was in California while I was in New York. Letting memories like that run rampant through my brain wouldn't change that. Or make this sad feeling any less intense.

The day we moved my stuff into my office, Fitz and I had enjoyed a little picnic lunch right there on the carpeting once we got all the boxes brought up into it. The other furniture hadn't arrived just yet and he took advantage of the situation by having lunch delivered to my office. It was funny and romantic and sweet. Even with the desk and a dozen or so boxes surrounding us.

Jesus, I need to stop.

It seems like the more time I spend in my new office, the more time I spend thinking about and missing Fitz. I could only hope it was something that faded with time. If not, it was going to be a real problem.

He left this morning to head back to California. He had to get settled into his own bigger newer office there. He was desperate to see Roscoe and his parents again. I think he was ready to get back into the rhythm of working from his own office instead of out of mine or a hotel room on the road.

He was coming back to New York in a week, but it would only be for a long weekend. I was already counting the days. He called me when his plane touched down. I don't think he had even been given the okay to use his phone, but he called me anyways. "Liv? I made it safe and sound."

The deep baritone of his voice sounded like heaven.

"The weather here is beautiful. Just the way I remember it."

The ache that shouldn't even be there yet – because he hadn't really been gone long enough for me to actually miss him - intensified as he spoke to me.

"The sky is picture perfect. Not a cloud in it. I wish you were he..."

"I don't have time to worry about you, mister." I interrupted him. I couldn't hear him say that he missed me. It would be too difficult. So, I plowed on ahead. "I am hard at work trying to make sure this side of things runs smoother than a sewing machine. You're gonna be busy playing catch up over there."

"Yea? Some things never change, I see. You're still under some delusion that you're better at your job than I am. We're partners now you know?"

He chuckled, and I almost cried. How fucking ridiculous is that?! I covered my mouth with my hand and closed my eyes, willing myself to pull it together. It was day one! I could do this. We could do this. We agreed on it together. Still, I couldn't help how much I already missed Fitz. His encouraging voice broke through my self centered thoughts.

"I already know exactly how amazing you are, Liv. You are the best." He huffed out a breath. "I miss you though. I miss you a whole hell of a lot more than I thought I might. I know I shouldn't say that, but..."

"I miss you too!" I blurted out. He had said it and now I wanted him to know that I felt exactly the same way.

"You do? I mean, of course you do. But if you're saying it out loud that means you're having just as hard a time adjusting to this new normal as I am. And my feet haven't even touched the California landscape yet." Fitz paused and whispered, "it helps to know you feel the same way."

"It does. It's not supposed to be this difficult on day one. Is it?" Surely, this wasn't normal? It couldn't be. He had only been gone for a few hours. I thought I was the only one being ridiculous, but apparently, he was feeling it too? It was nice to know I wasn't the only one.

"I...I don't know. But it is difficult. The whole time I was on the plane I was thinking about all the times we rode on a plane together. I remembered the time we had decided to keep things professional. God, we were apologizing to each other for our first kiss. Do you remember that?" he asked.

"Those were the easy days. We just didn't realize it then." I commented. "We've done much worse since then. And done it a whole lot better too." I chuckled.

"You're not supposed to wait until I'm on the other side of the world to get flirty and naughty with me."

I could practically see his grin from where I was. The one on my face probably matched his perfectly. "I guess I'll have to get flirty and naughty the next time I see you?"

"I can hardly wait."

"So. What's the plan once they let you off the plane?" I wanted to hear anything he wanted to tell me. I didn't care how mundane it seemed.

"I am going to go to my parent's house to save my dog from having heart disease or slipping into a coma from laziness. I'll visit with the folks for a little bit and then I'm going to go home and take a walk on the beach while the sun sets."

It all sounded perfect. "Send me pictures? Of the beach, I mean." He could send me pictures of his big toe and it would make me smile.

"I'll do it. I'll send you one of Roscoe too if his fat ass still fits into the screen of my phone." he chuckled. "Liv, listen. We are exiting the plane. I'll call you later on, okay? I just wanted you to know that I made it here safely."

"Yea...No...I understand. I'll talk to you later. Give your mom a hug for me please. I love you."

"I will. I love you too."

He ended the call and I felt infinitely better. There was just something about hearing his voice that was just so soothing.

Lori buzzed my phone and I picked up. "Hey, Lori. What's up?"

"James Novack is on line one for you." she chirped.

"Shit." James probably wanted to solidify dinner plans with Fitz and me. He didn't know that Fitz had already gone back to sunny California.

"Do you want me to take a message?" Lori asked.

"He'll just keep calling back. You can send the call to me. Thanks, Lori."

"No problem, Miss Pope."

I waited the obligatory two rings before I picked up. "James! Hello!"

"Uh uh! Don't you dare answer the phone all chipper and perky." he chided me. "You, Fitz, and I were all supposed to go to dinner together, but you never called to give me the go ahead to set it up. What happened? Congratulations on your new promotion by the way."

"Wow. Ummm, I'm sorry. And thank you." I wasn't sure which item to discuss first?

"Really? That's it? After all the time that has gone by since you and Fitz visited my store? I'm sorry and thank you? I don't think so. Spill it."

"Okay, dinner didn't happen because we ran out of time. There were circumstances that I can't get into with you right now, probably never will be able to get into with you but suffice it to say that life hasn't exactly been boring for me lately."

"That sounds very James Bond to me for some reason?" he said.

"That's not far from the truth actually. But like I said, I can't get into it. I really don't want to either. As for Fitz, he is back in California now. He flew back earlier. Just landed as a matter of fact." I explained.

"What the hell, Liv? Why can't you hold onto a good looking, hard working, best lay you've probably ever had in your life man like Fitz? He's the complete package!" James sputtered.

"I can hold onto him!" I replied defensively. "I have held onto him! What makes you think he's the best lay I've ever had in my life though?"

"Oh honey. A blind person could tell you he's the best lay you've ever had. That is not the point you need to pick apart right now. Why is he in California? Is he packing up everything he owns to have it shipped to New York? What'ssssss going on there?"

"Are you at work right now?" I asked.

"What? No! I wouldn't be calling you and discussing your personal life during work hours. I'm your employee while I'm at work. When I'm off the clock though, I am your friend. So, tell me why he's out west."

"Just checking. I don't know if you're aware of it or not, but we both got the promotion. We are co regional vice presidents. It's a job sharing thing. Fitz is off on Mondays and I am off on Fridays."

"That's great. You both deserve that. I was on pins and needles wondering which one of you would end up with the promotion. I'm glad it worked out like it did. You'll get to work together too. How cute will that be?"

"I am glad about it too. The only kicker is..." I began.

"Oh shit." James interrupted morosely.

"Yea. The only thing they wouldn't cave in on was letting us both work from one coast."

"Wait one damn minute!" James practically shouted. "Are you telling me that Fitz is back in California for good? As in, he's living there again and not moving here?"

"That's what I'm telling you."

"What the hell, Liv?"

His outrage reminded me of Fitz for some reason and it made me smile.

"This is bullshit! Do your bosses know the two of you are dating? I'm going to schedule an appointment with your boss and give whoever the hell he or she is a piece of my damned mind! This is absolutely ludicrous!"

I had the best friends in the world. James had me smiling and feeling lighter than I had been just before he called. But he had to be stopped. "Listen, James. You don't need to do that, okay? It's fine. We've worked it out to where we will visit each other. He'll fly here once a month and I'll fly there once a month. It's doable."

"Do you want to go to dinner with me tonight? I know I'm no Fitz – hell, who is – but I can make your first evening apart a little less lonely if you want?"

It was the second time in as many phone calls that I almost cried. I was so thankful for James. He seemed to know exactly what I was needing without me even having to explain or ask for it. I appreciated that more than he would ever know. "Dinner sounds nice. But aren't you working? It's Friday."

"The good thing about being the manager is that I make the work schedule. I've been so busy putting out Fourth of July crap that I am dangerously close to having over time. So, I can't go in today. My assistants got it anyways. I'll pick you up at your place at six?"

"Six sounds good. Thanks, James. This means a lot to me. Bye."

"Bye, Liv."

I ended the call and took a deep breath. I would get through the day just fine now knowing I had plans later. It would save me from texting Fitz every five minutes and annoying the hell out of him. I pushed my chair back up to my desk and got busy.

 **Fitz's POV**  
The first day back in California was really tough. I missed Olivia more than I thought possible. I had played it off casually when I called her from the plane, but hearing her voice kept me sane throughout the rest of the day.

I went directly to the office from the airport, not to my parent's house like I had told Olivia I was doing. I had a meeting with Abby. She was acting as my boss until someone could be hired for the position. It was no secret that I hoped she would get the job.

I knocked on her door and walked in without waiting for an invitation. She was writing something at her desk. "Heya, Abs. Settling in okay?"

Her head remained down, but her eyes went to mine and she wore a stern look. "Don't call me Abs at work. But to answer your question, yes, I am. It's a lot. A lot to do and a lot to learn to do."

"You're doing great." I replied.

"You have only been here two minutes. How do you know how I'm doing?" She accused.

"Because I know you. You put your heart and soul into everything you do at work. So, I know you're doing great. Did you apply for the job?" I already knew she had because I made some calls. Being a co regional vice president had its advantages.

She kept her eyes on what she was writing but answered the question. "I did." She wrote a few more lines and then looked up at me with a smile. "So, if I get it I will be your boss. I am looking forward to that more than anything else."

"Oh?" I asked with a grin. "Why is that?"

"Because then I'll be able to tell you what to do at work." she said smugly.

"You've been doing that for years though."

"Yes, but then you'll have to listen to me and not do what you want like you usually do."

"There's that." I agreed.

I watched as her eyebrows sunk low. "What are you doing here today anyways? You're not supposed to be back at work until Monday. Remind me to have you negotiate my schedule when I interview for this job. Fridays off was a genius move."

"I missed you too." I chuckled. "But I came by to disclose something to you."

"Oh shit. I hate it when you say that."

"It's for your ears only at this point in time."

She shot me a look. "I really hate it when you say that."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small velvet box that held Olivia's engagement ring. "I'm proposing to Olivia next weekend when I fly to New York to see her."

She studied my face for what felt like an eternity. Just when I was starting to feel uneasy by it and decided that I would say something, she spoke up. Her voice was a quiet one. "Let me see the ring. I mean, if you don't mind?"

I shrugged. "I don't mind at all. I've been dying to show this thing to somebody! The only people I know in New York besides Olivia is her family. And I can't show it to them."

I pried the square lid open, revealing the decent sized diamond sitting in the middle of the small box. I watched for her reaction, figuring it would tell me if I had chosen well or not. She squinted at it, as if it was a piece of lint that was the same color as her dress. At first, I thought she was messing with me the way she was looking at it. Abby picked the ring up out of the box and squinted at it some more. My mind raced to which jewelry store was closest to the office and how much money I had in my savings account when Abby nestled the ring back into the slot in the box, smiled at me and said, "she's gonna love it."

Her words caught me completely off guard. "Wait. What? Are you fucking with me?"

"I was." She said grinning. "But in all seriousness, Olivia really will love that ring. It's beautiful. It's not too big for her little finger, but its big enough to draw attention to her hand. You did good, Fitz."

I smiled and snapped the ring box shut and stuck in back into my pocket. "Thank you."

"How are you gonna do it? Take her to dinner? Get down on one knee? What's the plan?"

Now it was my turn to grin at her. "I don't feel compelled to disclose that to you. I just wanted you to know that I will be an engaged man very soon, so expect me to be super happy and have goofy smiles on my face at random times of the day."

"So, nothing is going to change is what you're saying?"

"And on that sarcastic note, I am leaving."

"Where do you gotta rush off to? You just got back."

"I've got to go rescue my dog from my parents. And then we are going to take a walk on the beach. It's been way too long since I have been outside. I'm going to enjoy my day off. Have fun at the office." I gave her a fake salute and walked out the door.

I didn't call my mother to warn her that I was headed to her house this time. I just showed up and expected the worst. I knocked on their door and heard the barking of a dog who knows his owner is on the other side. Roscoe and I practically knocked my father flat on his ass the second the door was opened.

My dog jumped up into my arms and I plopped down on the floor with him and began petting him and scratching him behind his ears. "Who missed me?

Roscoe barked.

"Whooooo?"

He barked and licked my face.

"Fitzgerald, don't get him all wound up!" My mother warned me as she made her way into the living room from the kitchen.

I ignored her. "Who loves me?"

Roscoe whined and licked me some more.

"The two of you are insane." my father said in a disgusted tone. He went to sit back down in his recliner.

"I missed you too! That was a long ass trip wasn't it? Yes, it was! But I'm here now." I stood up, trying hard to keep him in my arms as he wiggled happily and continued licking my face. After a few minutes, Roscoe wanted to be back on the floor, and I obliged him. "Roscoe isn't as fat as I thought he'd be. How was he?"

My mother rolled her eyes at me and ignored my apparently stupid question. "You look too thin. Didn't you eat at all in New York?"

I chuckled and pulled her into my arms for a hug. "Of course I ate, mom. New York has some amazing food. But nothing as amazing as your cooking."

She hugged me tight, probably glad to have her only child back home safe and sound? And then she started giving me a hard time. "Mr. Sweet Talker here. You go off for months on end and come back dishing out compliments." She pointed a finger in my direction. "I know what you are doing."

I put on my best innocent face. This was a two person play that my mother and I acted out every time I came back home from a road trip. She loved it just as much as I did. "What am I doing? Nothing! That's what! I just said that I missed your cooking."

She shot me a disbelieving look. "That's all you were doing? Do I look like I was born yesterday?"

I tilted my head to the side and looked at her face before kissing her cheek. "Maybe not yesterday. But you could easily pass for forty, mom. Couldn't she, dad?"

"You two and this thing! Leave me out of it." My father replied.

"See! That's his way of saying you look amazing! I think he wants more kids with you?"

"It's time for you to go home." dad said.

And that was my cue. My father had told me a long time ago that any time he made the statement that it was time for me to go home – it really was time for me to go home. I never asked him why or what happened after I left. I didn't want to be emotionally scarred.

"Roscoe?"

My dog ditched my dad and the comfort of his chair to join me at my feet. I looked down at him and said, "you wanna go for a ride?"

He lost his fucking mind every time I asked that question. He began whining and jumping and running in circles at our feet as my mother and I stood in front of the door.

"Don't get him all wound up or he will pee in your car."

"He knows better than that, mom. He's not a baby."

"Is that why you treat him as if he was one?"

I scooped up my dog. "We gotta go, Roscoe. Let's have dinner tomorrow night. I'll bring steaks to grill. Whaddya think?"

"That sounds good. We'll be able to catch up without a hyper dog running all over the place. I'll get some potatoes to bake and make a salad. Maybe make your favorite dessert?"

"That sounds amazing. Thanks for taking care of my dog, mom." I kissed her on the cheek again.

"Hey!" my father exclaimed.

"What?" I answered him with fake annoyance.

"I helped too yanno."

"Are you feeling left out, dad? Come here."

I went to kiss him on the cheek too, but he pushed me away and said, "it's time for you to go the hell home son."

"Bye dad. Bye mom. I love you guys." I waved at them and went out into the warm afternoon.

The moment Roscoe and I got home I felt so much lighter. There is just something about coming home after a long trip that just makes you feel so good. Roscoe did exactly what I thought he'd do. He ran straight for the small square at the bottom of the back door. Poor guy had been cooped up inside or in the fenced in backyard at my parent's house for far too long. I went to the window to see him running ninety miles an hour in the sand.

I needed some fresh air myself and opened the door and took a deep breath. It was glorious out here. No tall buildings looming overhead. No wall to wall people as far as the eye could see. No strange smells or honking horns filling up the air. Just the open sunny sky and crashing waves. It was good to be home.

I stepped outside. It was good to be home, but it was even better to be outside. The sun felt good on my face and I turned it upward to soak up as much Vitamin D as possible. The sound of the ocean, of the breaking waves was hypnotic and I turned my attention to them. To just watch them break, and the water foam, and then slowly pull itself back into the mass of water behind it and start all over again. I wished more than anything that Olivia was here to enjoy this moment with me.

I pulled out my phone and decided to FaceTime with her. To show her what she was missing this afternoon. Her smiling face filled the screen of my phone. "You still working hard at the office?"

"Yup. Just finishing up. What are you..."

I touched a button and showed her what I could see.

"Oh wow! I am so jealous right now! Did you just FaceTime me to show me what I'm missing?" she asked.

I turned the camera back onto my face, gave her a lopsided smile, and said, "that doesn't sound like something I would do. Does it?"

"You are so rude! That is beautiful though. I really am jealous that you can open your back door and be on the beach like that!" She sighed loudly. "Is that tiny dot near the top of your screen Roscoe?"

"Probably." I said with a chuckle. "He ran out of here like his tail was on fire the minute we walked through the door."

"Poor baby. He was probably sick of being cooped up for so long. He needed to be free and feel the wind on his face with his tongue hanging out of his mouth."

"I really miss you, Liv. Both of us came outside the minute we got home. As soon as I saw how gorgeous it was out here, I wished you were here to see it too. So, I did the next best thing."

"I'm glad you shared it with me. And I miss you too, Fitz."

"How's your day been in the big city?"

"It started out kind of crappy, but then James called and offered to take me to dinner tonight. He said he wanted to make my first evening apart from you a little less lonely. Wasn't that sweet?"

I shook my head back and forth. "Yea. The sweetest. Tell him to keep his hands off of what's mine."

Olivia held up her left hand and looked at it, then looked at me, and said, "I don't see a ring on my finger. I belong to no one."

I tapped my pocket that held her engagement ring, tilted my head, and raised my eyebrows. "Don't make me get on a plane earlier than planned, Miss Pope. I'll give you a reminder of what belongs to who and who loves it that way. Tell me I'm wrong."

She rolled her eyes at me but said nothing.

"I'm not hearing any words dear, sweet, single, belongs to no one Miss Pope." I challenged.

"You are hindering me from doing my work. If I get a bad performance review, it won't go well for you, Mr. Grant." she challenged.

"Oh, I know ALL about bad performance reviews too, Miss Pope."

She giggled and I swear, my soul felt ten times lighter.

I tried to remember what I had been talking about. Ah! Performance reviews! I continued my direction. "The key is correcting those things the moment they are mentioned."

"Is that so?" she asked with a grin.

I nodded. "It is. At least, that has been my experience with poor job performances."

"How many bad job performances have you ever gotten in your life?" She asked.

I decided to go with honesty. "Just one."

Her grin was huge; covering her face in fact, and she brought a hand up to cover her mouth with it. "That's a pretty good track record though."

"Mmmmm." My eyes noticed her desk for the first time. "I see you got your desk arranged where you wanted it."

"I did. I'm thinking of getting a new one though. This one has seen better days."

"You can't!" She was messing with me. There was no way that she was going to get rid of her desk.

"I just think it should be donated to a company or factory where it can really be used."

"Liv" She was playing with fire here.

"It's just not living up to its potential here." she said with a small shrug of her shoulder.

"You just wait. When I get there next weekend, I am going to make sure before it's hauled off it gets used to its fullest potential."

"You sound a little defensive over there." she said with a grin.

"You DO sound defensive, Fitz." A hand grabbed my phone before I could realize it had even happened.

"What the fu...?"

"Dude! It's Olivia! Heyyyyyyy!"

My confused eyes flicked up to look into the face of the familiar voice that belonged to the grabby hand. It was my dumbass friends.

"Hey, Liv. Can I call you Liv?"

"Let me see! Damn she is hot! Hotter than that picture Fitz showed us."

"She can hear you, asshole. You know this is a video, right?"

"Whoa!" Olivia said. "I'm getting a little dizzy being passed around like that. One at a time please."

"Damn, she even sounds hot."

I grabbed my phone out of Aaron's hand. "HELLO! I was talking to my girlfriend. What the hell are you guys doing here anyways?"

"We knew you'd be a miserable old lady your first night here without Olivia, so we thought we'd come by and cheer you up."

"How are you gonna do that?" I asked doubtfully.

He plucked my phone out of my hand. "We brought beer."

"Awww. That's so sweet of you guys to take care of my guy like that. I think I should go okay?" Olivia said.

"No, no, no, no. Don't go, Liv." Paul whined.

"I'm at work soooooo I should probably go do that." she explained.

"You gotta meet the guys real fast first. Then we promise to leave you alone...IF you'll answer one question from each one of us." Paul told her

"Absolutely not!" I demanded and grabbed for my phone, only to have it passed to someone else. "Hang up, Liv. I love you and I'll call you tomorrow."

"I love you too, Liv."

"Yea! Me too, Liv."

Someone made the kissing sound.

Finally, it was dead quiet, and I knew she had ended the FaceTime. The guys I called friends started laughing and my phone was hoisted up into the air. I saw Olivia's face and then we all heard, "I'd like to hear these questions they have for me."

All of my friends cheered loudly. I put my head in my hands. This was gonna be bad.

"Hey, Liv. I'm Aaron. I'm the most handsome one in our group."

"He's also the biggest liar." Matt added on a laugh.

"Nice to meet you, Aaron. Are you single?"

"Damn, Fitz. She's flirting with Aaron right in front of you, man!"

Olivia's giggle broke through the noise. "I wasn't asking for myself. I have a very single very attractive secretary who would probably love to land a California guy of her own."

"That works too, Liv."

"Her name is Olivia to you fools!" I demanded.

"Hey, Liv." Paul said, ignoring what I had just said. "I'm Paul. How are you doing this evening?"

"Heya, Paul. I'm doing great. I'm enjoying myself meeting all of Fitz's friends. Who is next?"

"IIIIIIIIII didn't get to ask you a question though." Paul said with a charming smile.

"Yes, you did. You asked me how I'm doing this evening. NEXT!" she called out on a laugh.

Male laughter sounded, and I found myself laughing along with them. She was funny and the guys were enjoying it.

"Ohmygod dude! You suck!"

"That question was the WORST!"

"Fucking idiot!"

A hand grabbed my phone and a smooth voice said, "Hey, Olivia. I'm Matt" as he looked at the screen.

"Okay, this one right here, Matt, is the one to watch out for!"

Aaron pushed his face towards the phone screen and said, "Matty's married. He is so NOT the one to watch out for."

"Married Matty sucks!" Paul laughed.

"You guys shut the hell up!" Matt demanded.

"Matt. You tried, buddy." I remarked. "And you failed."

Everyone laughed at him.

"Sorry, Matt. What's your question for me?" Olivia asked pleasantly.

"Don't you think Fitz's flat ass is kinda pathetic?" Matt asked.

"Matty?" Olivia said. "Can I call you Matty?"

"You can call me whatever the hell you want to, Liv." he answered as he grinned up at his friends.

"Let's be clear here. You are the one who thinks Fitz's ass is pathetic. Not me. That observation worries me more than a little, but I'm gonna let it go for now and answer your question with some information I probably shouldn't share." Using her hand, she gave him the 'come here' motion.

Matt leaned closer to the phone as if she was about to whisper something to him that only he could hear. There was no chatter from anyone at that moment. I don't even think anyone was breathing. Without knowing it, we all leaned a little closer to the small hand held device.

"Fitz has a great ass, in my opinion." she whispered.

I smiled proudly as my woman sang my praises in front of my friends.

"But..." she said.

"Oh shit! Here it comes!"

"Your girl is about to drop some truth, Fitz!"

"Cover your precious ears, man. This might hurt your feelings."

This was all in good fun as far as I was concerned. I didn't much care what Olivia said about me. I knew she loved me and was probably just razzing the guys for a laugh. Still, I listened.

Olivia waited until the manly mayhem died down. When it was completely quiet once again, she winked and said, "But, what he lacks in the back, he more than makes up for in the front."

"Ohhhhhhhhhh no she didn't!"

"This girl is a keeper, Fitzy!"

"Liv is dickmatized."

I laughed along with my ridiculous friends. She had set them straight all by herself. My phone was reluctantly passed to me. "Hi."

She smiled at me. "Hi yourself. Your friends are adorable."

"They are a fun bunch. I'm glad you got to meet them." God, I loved her. Still, I had to give her a little bit of a hard time. "Do you really think my ass is pathetic?"

"I never said that about your ass. In fact, as much as my hands are on it, I think it's safe to say I love your ass."

"End the call already!"

"It's guy time!"

"Pass me a beer!"

"Go back to work now, Liv!"

"I can see where I'm not wanted." she chuckled. "Hold me up please so they can all see me. It was really nice to meet all of you. Thank you for taking care of my man tonight and keeping him company. You guys are the best. I'll talk to you soon." She blew a big kiss to no one in particular.

I brought the phone back down to in front of my face. "I love you, Liv. I meant what I said about James. He'd better mind his manners with you tonight."

"Who the fuck is James?"

"Do we need to beat a guy up?"

"James need a come to Jesus chat with the four of us?!"

Looking up at my friends I said, "shut up you guys! I've got this." Looking back down at Olivia I smiled and said, "have fun. I'll call you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too, flat ass."

She ended the call, leaving me listening to the wild laughter of my idiotic friends. I knew I'd never hear the end of that one.


	30. Dreams and Reality

_Hey all. Sorry it's been a while since I have updated this story. Nothing would come to me for it. Serious writer's block. I will do my best to update it much more frequently. Thank you for your patience. Happy New Year!_

 **Dreams and Reality**

 **Fitz's POV**

"I now pronounce you man and wife."

I looked wildly around the huge open space with flowers everywhere trying to figure out how in the hell I had gotten to this point. I saw my parents and Olivia's family. Our friends. Our work colleagues. Everyone who meant anything to the two of us were all dressed up and sitting down in the church. When I glanced to my side, I saw Olivia wearing a beautiful white dress. It was some frothy looking creation with lots of lace and beads. It was beautiful on her. She looked like the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on.

But something felt strange. Like this was the first time I was seeing her in the ceremony or something.

That couldn't be right! The man just pronounced us man and wife. Surely, I had seen Olivia before now?! I really had not been paying much attention from my spot at the front of the church. I was going to have to keep it together a little better until we were on our way out the door!

"You may now kiss your bride." he told me with a polite smile.

I tore my gaze from him back to Olivia. I could see happiness on her face under that lacy veil. I guess I missed the majority of the wedding. That was probably normal when you're nervous, right?

I lifted the veil to find Abby standing there, smiling up at me. I froze with the most horrendous look on my face. What the fuck was going on?!

"...Please fasten your seatbelts and move your fold out trays back to their upright position as we begin to make our descent to LaGuardia Airport." A voice said from overhead.

What the fuck was that? I wondered wildly.

And then it dawned on me. I was on a plane. And that must have been the flight attendant making the announcement.

I startled in my seat. Thankfully no one was sitting beside me on the plane to witness my mini freak out.

Once my heart went back to a normal beat, I scrubbed my hands over my face and through my hair. It had been just a dream. I sat up straighter in my seat and made sure my seatbelt was fastened. Realizing I was about to be back in New York caused a grin to cover my face. I wasn't going to be single for much longer. By the end of this day I would have a fiancé. A very happy fiancé with a decent sized ring on her left hand.

I had a plan for the proposal too. It had taken me all week to get it perfect, but I would consider it time well spent once Liv said yes. I had no doubts whatsoever that she would say yes. We had talked about marriage before now. She wanted to marry me almost half as much as I wanted to marry her. I just had to get to the place of asking her.

Once we were given the all clear to begin departing the plane, I grabbed my small bag from the overhead compartment and got in line to make my way back on the ground. Since it was just a weekend visit, I opted to bring only the necessities in a small bag so I could avoid baggage claim. I planned on leaving them at Olivia's place so they would be there when I came back the next time to visit. It was an idea that I was congratulating myself on as people trudged to the conveyer belt to wait for their belongings to be deposited on it.

I walked outside, jumped into a waiting cab, and rattled off Olivia's address. I grabbed my phone from my jeans pocket and made a quick call as the yellow car made its way to my girlfriend's place. "I'm in a cab headed there now. Yea. Okay. Yup. See you there." Everything was going to be perfect for my little woman.

I arrived at Liv's apartment and carried my bag up to her bedroom. About ten minutes later, as if right on cue, someone knocked on the door. I opened it and muttered, "you're late" to Harrison. "Man, don't blame me. The women in my life take forever to get ready."

"Sorry! It's not my fault. Blame Harrison! And if Sophie is cranky later on, that is on him too." Leesa informed me.

"She can't be cranky later on!" I said in a loud desperate voice. "She's the one bringing Liv the ring." I turned my wrath onto Harrison. "You had one job, man. If this doesn't go as perfectly as I have pictured it in my head, that's on you."

"It's gonna be great. Stop stressing!" he fired back.

"Did you bring the picnic stuff?" I asked my future sister in law.

"Of course I did. I know my part." she said, sending me a wink and setting the basket on the table. "Sophie will be fine. She'll do anything for aunt Wib."

"What about Marcus and Eric? Do they know the plan, and can they be on time? Unlike some people."

"You think you're funny, huh Fitz?" Harrison asked. "Did you remember to bring the ring?"

"Of course I did." I replied, patting my pocket to make sure it was there. "I'm going to call Liv and then we can go get everything set up." "Hi" she said into the receiver.

"Hi." I echoed back. It was so good to hear her voice, knowing we were in the same state again. "Have you arrived yet?" she asked.

I told her that my flight arrived at LaGuardia an hour later than it actually did to give us time to get everything set up. "Yea, we just touched down."

"That's great. I can come pick you up." Olivia replied excitedly. "I'm going to want a really big hug first thing!"

"That's okay. I knew you'd be at work. I'm just gonna just grab a taxi."

"Okay. I'm headed home now then."

"Actually, I'm not headed to your place just yet." This was the part I knew would make her suspicious. I hoped I made it sound believable.

"Oh? Why not?" I could hear the disappointment in her voice and knew that it would be long gone shortly after we met up.

"I've been sitting on a plane for almost seven hours. I'm going to sit outside for a while before I head over to your apartment and sit inside some more. I need some fresh air and sunshine for a bit. I shouldn't be long though."

"Well, where are you going, and I'll meet you there."

I fist bumped the air, happy to feel like I knew her well enough that she would offer to join me. "Yea. That would be great. I'm going to watch the water for a while at the Ladies Pavilion."

"In Central Park?" she asked surprised.

"Yea, it's always been a pretty and peaceful spot. And there are benches there to sit on too. You don't have to go if you don't want to though?"

"Actually, it does sound kinda peaceful. Like the perfect way to end the week. I'll meet you there, Fitz."

"Sounds good. See you shortly. Love you."

"Love you too."

I ended the call and raced downstairs. "We are a go, you guys."

"The ring girl is ready to go." Leesa proclaimed proudly. Her daughter was wearing a pretty dress and her curly hair was piled up on top of her head.

I squatted down in front of the little girl I had come to love. "Sophie? Your dress and your hair are so pretty. You look just like a princess."

I was rewarded with a huge smile and a tight hug from her.

The four of us loaded everything up into Harrison and Leesa's car and headed for the park. I got the blanket spread out and the picnic set up with fifteen minutes to spare. Before Olivia arrived, Eric and Marcus came by and shook my hand, wishing me well. I told them I didn't need it, but they muttered that I didn't know their sister very well if I believed that. They pointed to the spot where they would be watching everything unfold from and that was when the butterflies in my stomach began to make themselves known. I patted my pocket to make sure the ring was still there.

I don't know how to explain it, but a short while later I felt Olivia's presence before I even saw her. The butterflies left and a perfect sense of calmness took over in their absence. I was leaning over the wooden rail, looking at the water when she finally came into view. I pretended not to see her and studied the water with what I hoped was a faraway look on my face. She called my name twice trying to get my attention. "You are a sight for sore eyes, Liv." I put my arms around her and held her tightly.

"It's so good to have you back in my arms. I have missed you, Fitz." she said.

"I've missed you too. So much."

"What's all this?" she asked.

I looked over my shoulder at the picnic i had set up the moment we arrived. "Oh. I thought it would be nice to have a little snack while we sat out here. Something different."

"That's very sweet and thoughtful. Sit down with me and we'll see what you brought." She opened the lid of the basket and I heard her gasp. "You brought a bottle of wine?"

I mentally reminded myself to hug Leesa for her amazing brain. There was little that Liv loved better than a good wine. "I just grabbed something. I hope it's okay? I don't know anything about wines."

"No, this is a good bottle. Beginners luck, I guess?"

She reached for the corkscrew to open the bottle, but I took it out of her hand. "Let me. You've worked hard all day today while I was off. Let me take care of you."

"I am not going to argue with that logic." she said grinning. She leaned back against my chest while I poured two glasses of wine for us.

I handed Liv hers and watched her take a sip. "How does it taste?"

"Like the beginning of a three day weekend." she sighed.

"That had to be the best thing about our new work contract. I absolutely love our three day weekends every week."

"Me too! Being off on Mondays just make me hate Tuesdays that much more though. Still, we should have gotten the same day off so we could enjoy it together."

"You know what they say; hindsight is twenty twenty. This stuff really isn't that bad." I admitted, taking another sip.

"If you listened to me a little more, you would have a lot more joy in your life." she said with a good dose of sarcasm. I watched her close her eyes and turn her face towards the sun.

That was as good of an opening as I was going to get. "Liv? I've been thinking about that."

"Mmmm, about what?"

"About listening to you."

"And what did you come up with?" she chuckled.

"I think I need your wisdom in my life all the time?" I began.

"You think so huh?"

"I do. I think I'm pretty hopeless without you, so we are going to have to figure out some way to rectify this situation we find ourselves in."

"What situation is that?" There was humor in her voice. Like she was happy listening to me go on and on about whatever the hell it was I was saying, but she didn't really expect a resolution in the same conversation.

"Well, for starters you live here, and I live in California."

"You are welcome to come live with me here. I've told you that."

"I'm talking about more than our housing situation." I took her wine glass out of her hand and set it on the ground beside us. "I'm talking about the situation of us being in love and changing our status."

"I don't know what you mean? How do we fix that?" She had a look of pure confusion on her face.

While she was looking into my eyes, I waved my hand into the air behind my back. That was the signal for Harrison and Leesa to send Sophie over to us with the ring. I caught a glimpse of her coming and said, "Liv? I don't want us to live on opposite coasts anymore."

"But you just said you didn't want to move in with me at my place?"

"I don't. I want more than that." I explained.

"How much more do you want? Your own apartment in the city?" I got on my knee as Sophie appeared. The moment her presence registered with Olivia, her face displayed shock. "Sophie! Oh god! What are you doing here?" Olivia began looking around wildly. "Where is your mom and dad?"

Sophie just smiled at her aunt. "Liv? Sophie is here to help me." I told her.

"Help you with what?" Her beautiful face was crinkled in confusion.

"She's helping me propose to you. Right, Soph?" I asked with a grin.

Sophie nodded and opened her balled up hand in front of me. I pinched the ring from her little palm between my thumb and index finger as Olivia fell into a stunned silence with wide eyes riveted on the ring. "You're propo..."

"Shhhh. Olivia, I love you. You are my whole world, and nothing matters more to me than you do. I'm damned well lost without you and your opinion. I really hate having to be away from you during the week. I'm better when I'm with you. Marry me so that I can be a better man. I promise I'll make you  
happier than you've ever been before. I want to spend my life doing just that. Say yes and let me. Marry me, Olivia?"

Olivia smiled at Sophie and asked her, "Did you write all of that for him?" Sophie nodded and giggled. "You did good, Soph. I'm gonna agree just because of that beautiful speech." Olivia said with a wink.

Now it was my turn to have wide eyes. "Was that a yes?"

Somehow, Olivia's smile grew even bigger and she nodded. "Yes."

I happily slid the ring onto her finger and picked her up, swinging her around in my arms. I felt like the happiest man on Earth. "She said yes!" I yelled. People nearby clapped for us as I kissed my brand new fiancé.

Harrison, Leesa, Eric, and Marcus came out from their hiding places. They were clapping too. "All of you were here?" Olivia asked completely taken aback?

"Fitz wouldn't shut up about it. It was either come and watch it or listen to his crazy ass drone on and on about it over the next fifty years. The decision seemed easy." Harrison said, clapping Fitz's back. "Congratulations, sis."

The small group took turns hugging each other and passing out congratulations. Leesa produced more glasses - one for each one of us - because she knew that Olivia would say yes. Marcus gave a short but sweet toast and the six of us all emptied our glasses. Once everything was packed back up and put back inside the picnic basket, I picked up Sophie. "Thank you for helping me propose to aunt Olivia. I'm going to be your uncle when I marry her, you know."

Sophie grinned really big and said, "yayyyyy!" before laying her head on my shoulder and putting her little arms around my neck. It was the best acceptance into the family I could ever ask for.

Later that night, Olivia and I were lying in her bed. She was curled up into my side with her head on my arm, holding out her left hand. "I...can't stop staring at it." She had the biggest smile on her face and a dreamy lilt to her voice. Knowing I was the one responsible for putting that smile on her face, because I put a ring on her finger, caused me to smile as well. "It's just so beautiful, Fitz. I really love it. And it's not just my gorgeous ring. It was the proposal. It was you involving Sophie. Making sure my brothers were there. Leesa too. Family is important. Everything was perfect. You're perfect. Thank you for all of it."

"Maybe you should show me again just how much you love it?" I suggested as my smile grew even bigger. We had been in bed for over an hour where Olivia wanted to be, wearing nothing but her engagement ring. I intertwined her left hand with my right one as her diamond sparkled brilliantly. "It looks good on you."

She pulled my body down on top of hers. "You look good on me."

I dipped my head and our lips connected in a fiery kiss. Tongues danced together, hands groped heated flesh, and our bodies connected as one in a lazy dance once again. "I love you so much, Liv. I can't wait to make you my wife and start our lives together."

"You are going to be my husband." she marveled. "How sexy is that?"

"I want you to think about where you want to go for our honeymoon. Wherever you want to go, that's where we'll go."

"Do you promise?" she asked with a glint in her eye.

I had a feeling I might regret this, but at the moment I was too happy to be thinking about regrets. She was wearing my ring on her finger and my body on hers. "I promise."

"I have a few ideas." she admitted.

"Mmmmm, funny enough...I do too." I sat up so that she was straddling my lap and held her tightly. "I'm about to show you some of them."

 **Olivia's POV**

Fitz and I had gotten all of the celebrating out of our system sometime early Saturday morning. Well, most of it. I laid in bed beside him, still staring at my ringed finger with a huge happy smile still on my face. We were engaged!

Fitz didn't know it yet, but we weren't staying engaged for long. By the time summer ended he would be my husband. Neither one of us had a lot of family to pacify with a large wedding, so I figured planning a smaller more intimate ceremony would be a lot easier. We were going to start the planning soon. Today in fact.

I quietly crawled out of bed, making my way to the kitchen to start brewing coffee for me and my fiancé. While I waited for it, I turned on my laptop and pulled up some wedding websites for ideas. I stumbled upon a time table chart that showed what things should be done a year from the wedding date up to the day of the event.

Fuck! I was way behind already!

I studied it as words like 'choose your style' and 'come up with a budget' floated through my brain. This website also said I should hire a wedding planner! I had no idea where to even find one of those! Can you Google them? Are they nearby? Is there a one eight hundred number?

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. People get engaged and stay that was for the short term all the time. There had to be a wedding time table for people in those situations. Right? I opened my eyes and began a search for short term engagements. I clicked on the first website that came up and wasn't an ad. Right at the top of the page was a completed poll. What I saw there freaked me the hell out! Eleven percent of people consider a short term engagement to be six months or less.

I was screwed.

Dread began to creep into my bones, followed by an overwhelming sense of holy shit-ness.

I got out of that website and re worded my search. How to plan a wedding in under two months.

I hesitated but clicked on the first website.

Bingo!

I got up, poured myself a cup of steaming hot coffee, and sat back down and began to scroll. First things first. Pick a wedding date. I pulled up the calendar on the laptop and looked over it. August was still summertime and I wanted to be a summer bride. August third was the first Saturday in the month. Waiting all the way to August to become Fitz's wife was going to be hard enough! I wrote the date down.

Next, I had to come up with a budget.

That would involve Fitz since I would be using his money as well as mine. I skipped that one for now and went to the next item on the much shorter list. Location of the wedding.

I pondered that one as I took a sip of my coffee. Fitz and I didn't have anywhere that was significant to our dating life. We met at work and while I appreciated how fate had put us together, I couldn't see us getting married at corporate headquarters in California. I chuckled at the thought of it.

"What's so funny this early in the morning, future Mrs. Grant?" Fitz asked.

A smile bloomed across my face at the thought of having his last name. I set my mug on the table and stood up to give my future husband a hug and an ass grab. "Good morning. I am planning our wedding."

"Not without me you're not." he informed me.

I gave him a doubt filled look. "You want to help plan the wedding?"

"Of course I do. It's my wedding too you know?"

"I'm aware of that." I replied. "I'm just surprised is all. Most men just want to hand over their credit card and let the female plan everything."

"In case you didn't get the memo," he began, and squeezed my ass. "I'm not most men."

"That's the truth. Grab a cup of coffee and let's take a look at what I've found."

When we were both sitting at the table, I explained to him the first three things we needed to handle.

"Date, budget, and location." Fitz repeated. "That's not going to be that difficult." "I might have already settled on August third for the date." I admitted sheepishly.

"Other than the fact that you want to snap me up before someone else comes along, what's the significance of that date?"

"Shut up." I replied rolling my eyes. "I don't want to wait to be married to you. Are you okay with a short engagement?"

"It's fine with me."

"Great. Budget is next."

"Okay. We both have plenty of money for a good sized budget. But my parents are going to want to help with their only child's wedding. Are you okay with that? I know they have been saving for years." he explained.

"I would never not let them be a part of the planning process, Fitz. I know they are important to you. To both of us. I want them to be as involved as they want to be."

"This is going to be easier than I imagined. Location is next."

"I haven't thought about it for very long, but I was wondering what you would think about..."

"Liv?" Fitz began. "This is going to be our only wedding. I want you to have the wedding of your dreams. I want the day to be special too. But what do you think about the two of us getting married right on the beach near my backyard?"

"What? The beach? Really?" I took a moment to think that over.

"Well, yea. It wouldn't cost us anything at all and we could use money for other things. Like flying your family to California for the bachelor party and wedding."

"I'm sorry. The what? What bachelor party?" I asked.

"The night before the wedding where the men go out together and do crazy shit while the women do the same thing. My friends plus your brothers will equal an epic night!" he explained. The concern I was feeling on the inside must have shown visibly on my face because he immediately began explaining how great my bachelorette was going to be. "You, Leesa, and Abby will have a great time too, I'm sure."

"MmmHmm. Let's just skip that topic for now."

Fitz seemed to breathe a little easier.

"We have to order the cake and the invitations and find someone to marry us. I do love the idea of getting married right on the beach though. Maybe just before sunset? What do you think of that? I think our photos will be really beautiful." I could practically see them with the gorgeous blue sky over the water turning orange as the sun disappears. "SHIT! We've got to find a photographer too! This list is getting out of control. No wonder people take a solid year to plan their weddings."

"Hey." He put his finger under my chin and directed my gaze up to his face. "We can do this by the beginning of August."

"Yea, but..." I began. Maybe we couldn't? We were on day one of planning and already things seemed more than a little overwhelming. Maybe we should wait?

"No buts. We can. People also get married on the spur of the minute all the time too. We are going to be fine." His voice was calming and confident. Like he had done this all before and knew what he was talking about.

"How?" I demanded. "How are we going to be fine figuring out all of this shit by then? Maybe we should take a year to make sure it really is the perfect day that we both want?"

"Uh uh!" he said forcefully. "I am NOT waiting a year to marry you. That is ten months of wasted married sex. Do you really want to miss out on that perfection?"

Why was my brand new fiancé so damned adorable? I smiled at him and shook my head back and forth.

"Good girl. Each one of us only works four days a week. That gives us an extra day every single week to get something done on our own personalized checklist. We aren't going by what people on perfect wedding dot com tell us to do." He closed my laptop and held my hand. "We will make our own list. One that's completely doable, and one that we will both be responsible for getting things done from. And, one that will not leave my bride to be stressed out twenty four seven! How does that sound to you?" he asked.

"Why are you so perfect all of the time?" I asked, giving him a smile.

"Well, it all started when.."

"That was a rhetorical question, Fitz." I said interrupting him. "I'm going to need you to keep me sane until August, and I don't think that is going to be an easy thing to do either. Can you handle that task?"

"By whatever means necessary?" he asked with a lopsided smile.

He was talking about sex. I just knew it. It was a good thing we were great at it together.

"MmmmHmmm." "How are you feeling right now? Little bit frazzled?" His smile had turned into a full on smirk.

I put my arms around him and stared at his lips. "Little bit. Yea."

He picked me up in his arms and started to carry me back to bed. "Let me take care of that for you right this minute."

"I am going to like being married to you." I whispered into his ear before sucking on it. "Please take really really good care of me."

"It's the only way I know how to take care of you, Liv." He dropped me onto my bed and slowly crawled up my body before attaching his hungry lips to mine.

A few hours later, I was trying to wake him up from his sex coma. He was passed out on his stomach, breathing heavily, and not remotely interested in opening his eyes. "Fiiiiiiiiiitz? You've got to get up now." I was trying to wiggle my way underneath his body and had basically given up on any hope of him becoming conscious ever again, when his big arm snaked across my stomach.

Somehow, in under three seconds, he had pulled my body underneath his and was grinning down at me. "Is this your way of asking for more?"

"No. This is my way of letting you know that we are going to look at wedding cakes."

He dipped his head and kissed me. "It's cake, Liv. How hard can it be? You want me to make it? Cause I will."

I laughed at him. "You are crazy as hell. Thank you, but no thank you. We are going to order a wedding cake and I'm going to let you pay for it. That's fair, right?"

"I can do that. A cake is what, fifty bucks, right?" he asked.

He had no idea what he was talking about. But he was about to learn. "Something like that."

I had Googled wedding cakes and bakeries while he slept off his exertions. I made a few calls and one of them was more than happy to let us come in and try different flavors this afternoon for a mini tasting. It also had a bakery in California. I just had to get my charming fiancé up to go with me. It was his wedding too, after all.

Fitz jumped in the shower alone, after repeated attempts of friendly inviting and countless tries to lure me to join him. I declined knowing it would leave us spending the day in bed or, at the least, very very late to our last minute appointment.

The two of us walked into the bakery a short while later and stood there, enjoying the heavenly scent of cake. We were greeted by one of the employees who asked if she could help us. "We have an appointment for cake tasting." I explained.

"You must be Olivia?" she asked with a warm smile in place.

"That's right."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Rebecca." She extended her hand and Fitz and I took turns shaking it as I introduced her to Fitz. "Great.. Have the two of you set a date for your wedding?"

"We have. August third." I told her with excitement in my voice.

"That isn't far away at all." she commented as she looked at a calendar.

That feeling of dread was back. I just knew this visit was going to give me an ulcer or make me feel incompetent. "That's bad, isn't it?"

"Not at all. It just means we need to get the two of you to agree on a cake soon. I'll bet we can do that today, as a matter of fact?" She pulled out an organizer and began writing notes in it. "So, before we get started, tell me a little bit about your wedding. Will it be big or small?"

Fitz and I looked at each other. "It will probably be a small event."

"Probably something you should know is that we will most likely be getting married in California instead of New York." Fitz explained.

"That is good to know." She said, writing it down. "But we have a bakery in Los Angeles, so it won't be an issue for us. What kind of wedding are the two of you planning?"

"We'd like to get married on the beach. We haven't figured up a guest list yet, but we probably won't have more than seventy five people attending." I told her.

"The two of you have been enjoying the engagement period huh?"

"Actually, we just got engaged yesterday." I told her.

"Oh my goodness! And your first order of business is to find a cake on day one?! You are staying on top of things Miss Olivia."

"See. You're doing great." Fitz told me and kissed my temple.

"Why don't both of you look at this book of the different styles of cakes we have made over the years and see if you can agree on one. There are round and square ones, white ones, colorful ones, cakes with flowers on them, and cakes without any flowers. There's a lot to consider when choosing a cake. You two look and I'll bring some slices for you to try."

The two of us sampled so many different flavors of cake and frosting that it was a little difficult to keep them all straight. We ended up deciding on a round creation that felt right to us somehow. Having that big of a task taken care of and off of our checklist was amazing. Now that we had chosen our wedding cake, Fitz decided to go ahead and pay for it in full. The moment he got the price though, his eyes got big and his voice grew louder. The total was much more than fifty bucks.

"Three hundred and twenty-seven dollars? For cake?" Fitz exclaimed. "That's highway robbery!"

I put my hand on his and in a soothing voice said, "Fitz? How many times are we going to get married?"

He cut his eyes to mine. There was some bite in his voice when he spoke. "Once" he replied.

"Exactly. And we are going to get the cake that we want. And that is this cake right here." I pointed to the picture of the cake we had just ordered. "So just pay for the cake and let's go please. We have other things to do today."

I watched him glare at the baker and reluctantly hand over his credit card. The man took the offered card and walked away. Fitz looked back at me. "The cake had better look exactly like the one in the picture or I'll have my ass back in this store demanding a refund faster than you can say 'just married'."

Once the receipt was in my hand, I kissed his cheek and said, "let's go look at tuxes."

"Liv. I don't really want to play dress up today."

"If you plan on marrying me, you are going to wear a tux. You think I want to try on dress after dress to find the perfect one to marry you in? Yea, I don't. But I'm going to so that I look absolutely perfect when I walk towards you and claim you as mine for forever. You can try on a couple of tuxedos for me."

He grinned down at me. "I can't wait to see you walking down the sandy aisle towards me in a beautiful dress as you claim me as yours forever. It's gonna be great."

"Damn right it's gonna be great." I echoed.


	31. Secrets and Shenanigans

**Secrets and Shenanigans**

 **Olivia's POV**  
What in the hell made me think that having an August wedding was a good idea? We had accomplished a lot but still had things that needed to be done. August was just five short weeks away! No one willingly decides to plan a wedding in five weeks time. No sane person anyways.

Fitz and I had the cake, invitations, a caterer, the location, and guest list taken care of. But that still left us needing a photographer, the entertainment, and last but not least, my dress. I left Fitz in charge of the photographer and entertainment because I thought my head would explode if I had to deal with one more thing for this wedding without having my dress picked out yet. It was three things. A totally doable list, right?

Then why was I locked in my office googling wedding dress shops in New York and their inventory on my laptop? I had, in fact, been doing the same thing for the past few days. And I hadn't had any luck finding one. I was so thankful, as Fitz so graciously reminded me during his last visit that I had an extra day off each week to be better able to get things done for our wedding. This weekend I would be on the hunt for a dress and nothing or no one was going to get in my way.

I had been looking at a beautiful gown with a veil I wasn't particularly impressed by, when an ad for lingerie popped up. I clicked on it and discovered some really sexy pieces that I knew Fitz would absolutely love. Some leather, some lace, some satin, and some combinations of the three. I was making a list of the websites when my phone rang. I absentmindedly answered it as I continued looking. "Olivia Pope."

"Olivia? It's Marie."

Fitz's mother?!

I snapped my laptop shut immediately, as if my fiancé's mother could see what I was doing through the phone line. In the process, I caught part of my pinky finger between the top and bottom of my computer. My face crinkled in pain and I wanted to cry out but instead I grit my teeth together and, in a voice as pleasant as I could muster said, "Marie! What a surprise hearing from you!"

"How are you today, Olivia? I didn't catch you busy did I? I know you are at work, so I can call back another day if need be."

She was so cute and motherly, it made me smile and forget that I had just been looking at lace and strings that would drive her son wild with lust. I cleared my throat, as if that somehow would clear away what I had been doing from my own memory. "It's no problem at all. I was just looking at wedding dresses. Don't tell my co-worker. He can be a pain in the ass sometimes. Nose to the grindstone and all that." I chuckled.

Oh my god. I was making her son sound like a work horse. I'm sure that's what every mother wants to hear from her soon to be daughter in law? Fucking idiot! "What I mean is..."

"I know all about how trying Fitzgerald can be at times." Marie chuckled. "You can trust me, Olivia. I won't tell him a thing he doesn't need to know about."

This mother in law thing might just be the best thing that's ever happened to me? Besides Fitz becoming my husband, of course. I smiled at her words. "Thank you, Marie. He has a tendency to push it sometimes, doesn't he? What can I do for you today?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask you a question, but I fear that I might be too late with it from the sound of things?"

"Ask anyways. I'm intrigued, and you have my full attention." I promised, as I rubbed my sore pinky.

"Have you found your dress for the wedding yet?" She inquired.

I sighed. She was going to think I was either a procrastinator or an idiot when I answered this question. I wished I could lie to her and not feel guilty about it, but that just wasn't me. "Unfortunately, no. I haven't."

"Perfect!" she exclaimed.

"It's not perfect at all." I whined. "I'm getting married to your son in five weeks and I don't have a dress yet. Time is running out and the way it looks now, I'll end up marrying him in a used prom dress from nineteen eighty-nine." I just knew she was going to start wishing for Fitz to come to his senses and dump me.

Instead, she chuckled, catching me off guard. "I have spent a long time praying for you, Olivia."

Here it came. The speech! She's gonna tell me how she's been praying for me to stop being such a procrastinator.

"You are perfect for Fitz. You make him happier than I have ever seen him before. And it's obvious that you love him, as he loves you. So, my dear, for those reasons and so many others, my only daughter in law isn't going to wear anything less than exactly what she wants to wear on her wedding day."

Wait! What did she just say? I was so confused.

"I am calling to invite you to California for the weekend to look for dresses here. With me. A kind of...mother and daughter thing, if you will?"

I started feeling the tears way down deep, before they even made their way to the surface and it had nothing to do with my hurting finger.

"Are you still there, Olivia?" she asked hesitantly.

I swallowed hard. There was a huge lump in my throat. "You..." I cleared my throat before continuing, determined to get my question out. "You want to take me wedding dress shopping?"

"I would very much like to take you shopping for your wedding dress. I know that it's something that a mother typically does with her daughter, but you see, I don't have a daughter. And you...well, you don't have..."

"A mother." I whispered. The tears were freely falling down my face at this point. I couldn't stop them even if I tried. And I didn't want to try. In w weird way, this felt good. I was even smiling through the tears somehow.

"If I have hurt your feelings in any way, I am so very..."

"NO!" I blurted. "You haven't. You have touched my heart in the most beautiful way. This is one of those times in life when a mother's help would be so appreciated. But mine has been gone for so long that I haven't even stopped to think about how much easier this process would be if she were here with me. You...made me feel like a daughter again. Thank you. For that and for the offer. I would very much like to come and spend some time with you."

"Then it's settled. I'll pick you up at the airport. Can you come tomorrow afternoon?" She sniffed, and I could tell she had been crying as well.

"Tomorrow would be perfect."

"Thank you so much, Olivia."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you, Marie. I can't wait to get there and find a dress with your help."

"I'm sure Fitzgerald will be excited to know you are coming to California too?" she asked.

A lovely mischievous thought floated into my head and along with it, a matching smirk. "Marie? Can I ask you for a favor please?"

"You can ask me for just about anything in the world." she admitted.

"About Fitzgerald..." I decided I might start calling him that when he acted like an ass. "...knowing that I am coming to California? Can we please keep that between us two girls for now? I'd like to surprise him at some point while I'm there."

"What he doesn't know, won't hurt him." Marie stated a little too gleefully.

"My thoughts exactly!" I chirped. "Thank you again for the invitation. I'll have my secretary book my flight for tomorrow and I'll text you the details of my arrival."

"That sounds wonderful. I will see you tomorrow. Goodbye, Olivia."

"Bye, Marie." I ended the call, pulled several tissues from the box I keep in my office, and blotted my eyes. I wasn't just getting a mother in law, I was getting the best mother in law in the world! A true one in a million woman with a heart of gold. Fitz didn't stand a chance if the two of us agreed on something against him. The thought made me giggle.

I pulled myself back together and picked up the receiver of my phone once again and buzzed my secretary.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Lori, could you please book me on a flight to Los Angeles tomorrow afternoon after my last meeting?"

"Of course, Miss Pope. Will you need a rental car when you land?" Lori asked.

"That won't be necessary, Lori. But thank you."

"No problem." She happily replied.

"I do have a question for you though. If it's too personal, please feel free to let me know."

"Sure."

"I need a really nice gift for my mother in law. Something personal from me to her. I'd like to get her a wedding gift. Is that weird?"

"Not at all, ma'am. It's actually a really nice gesture. Do you want me to purchase something for her?" Lori asked.

"No, thank you. I'd like to buy the gift myself. I just wanted to make sure that it was acceptable." I explained.

"Miss Pope? It's your wedding and you are the bride. You can do whatever you like."

I smiled into the receiver. "You are so right. Again, I would be lost without you."

She changed the subject, like she always did when I openly praised her. "I'll call the airline and email you the confirmation information."

"Thank you, Lori."

The following afternoon, after I wrapped up my last meeting, I giddily left the building and headed for the airport. The night before, I had packed a small suitcase filled with everything I would need for my weekend trip to California and parked it by my front door. This morning, I had grabbed the handle and brought it to work with me so I could get to the airport quicker when the work day was done.

True to her word, Marie was waiting for me at LAX and she greeted me with a huge smile and a warm hug. The two of us stood there hugging for what seemed like an eternity. I don't know how to explain it other than to say it just felt good to hold onto her. Neither one of us seemed anxious to break it up, but I eventually sniffed – some dust might have gotten in my eyes – and that brought Marie to her senses and pulled me at arm's length. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

It was the most motherly thing in the world to start a conversation with and that made me smile. There was only one way to respond when a mom asked if you wanted food. "I could eat." I replied.

"Good answer. We can get some dinner and then I set us up a late appointment at a bridal boutique not far from here. That is, if you're up to it after working all day long?"

"I am very up to it! Are you sure you're okay with driving us around town for the next few hours?"

"My only child is getting married soon. If we need to be out until midnight, then so be it." Marie said with determination in her voice.

"I don't think the bridal store owners would like us very much if we tried to get them to stay open much past their regular hours." I chuckled.

After dinner both of us were feeling much better without the diversion of hunger gnawing at our bellies. Marie drove us to the boutique, where we met Keshia. She introduced herself to us as the owner and she and Marie listened to me try to explain what I was looking for in a wedding dress. Keshia and I left Marie in the quaint waiting area while I was taken to the back and given dresses to try on that were comparable to what I had claimed I wanted.

Before I even had the first dress all the way zipped up, I knew it wasn't the one for me and voiced my feelings to Keshia. She gave a slight shrug but helped me out of it and handed me another one to try on.

I ended up trying on eight different dresses and liked none of them. I wasn't expecting to find the perfect dress at our very first appointment, but it was a fun experience and I felt like a princess in all the pretty white material. I also got a better idea of what I wanted in a dress by trying some on.

"We have a few appointments at different places tomorrow. I didn't want you to have to deal with the time zone difference and an early morning meeting, so the first appointment isn't until eleven." Marie explained.

We were riding back to her house and I couldn't stop the yawns that were escaping my mouth. "That's perfect, Marie. Thank you so much for taking care of everything. I'm really glad you called yesterday and offered to go shopping with me. As fun as tonight has been, I think tomorrow will be even better."

"I have the spare bedroom all set up for you. Clean sheets and towels are all in there, so make yourself at home. You are family. Is there anything in particular you'd like to have for breakfast in the morning?" She paused for a moment before saying, "I got the feeling the last time I saw you that you are not a fan of eggs? I've got pancakes and sausage?"

The mention of eggs will always be a reminder to me of the almost pregnancy Fitz and I experienced. It will also always make me very leery of eating them too unfortunately, due to the bout of food poisoning I experienced because of undercooked eggs. Thoughts of pregnancy floated through my brain and happily stayed there longer than expected. I shook them out and replied, "pancakes are perfect!"

Later on, I was just about asleep in the spare bed in Fitz's parent's house when my phone alerted me to an incoming call. Groggily, I picked it up from the nightstand and saw that it was Fitz. I unplugged it from the charger and slid my finger across the screen. "Hi."

"Hi yourself. How's my favorite person tonight?"

"I'm doing great. What's my handsome fiancé up to?"

"Not much. I'm on my way to my parent's house so that I can drop off Roscoe until Sunday." he said.

Panic bubbled up inside of me and I bolted upright in the bed. He could NOT know that I am at his parent's house. Or in the state of California for that matter. His feelings would be hurt if he found out I came here and didn't tell him or see him. "What? Why?"

"Me and the guys are going to check out some bands tonight and tomorrow night as possible entertainment for the wedding. I'd hate for Roscoe to have to deal with hungover me, too tired to give him any attention."

I scrambled to get out of bed. I scurried into the bathroom to make sure I hadn't left any of my things in there. I had dropped a shoe. I picked it up and carried it back towards the spare room. "That'ssss true. He wouldn't appreciate that at all."

"What are you up to tonight? Still googling dresses?"

On my way back to the bedroom I almost bumped into his mother. She had wide eyes and was wringing her hands together. She had her mouth opened to speak, but then noticed the phone in my hand and immediately brought her hands up to cover it. I pointed at my phone and mouthed the word 'Fitz'. She followed me into the guest room.

I sat down on the bed and said, "Nah. I'm enjoying a night in for a change. You guys have fun, but not too much fun, okay?"

"Alright. I'll call you tomorrow. I love you, Liv."

"I love you too, Fitz." I ended the call and put my phone on silent and back onto the charger. "What am I gonna do, Marie?"

"You are going to do what you had already planned to do. Go to bed and get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

"Yea, but he can't find me here!"

"He's not going to find you here. He doesn't even come in here. You'll be fine as long as you're quiet. Just close your door."

"I'm gonna be a nervous wreck until he leaves."

"It'll be fine. I promise." she assured me.

I had gotten myself calmed back down and had gotten back into the bed when I heard my favorite baritone voice call out a 'hello' to his parents. I wished I had told him I was here so that I could go downstairs and hug him tightly. Or he could take me back to his place and tuck me in. The thought of that had me squeezing my thighs together. His voice sounded sexier than I remembered.

I heard their chatter and a happy bark from Roscoe. And then I heard his four paws on the hard wood floor. He was moving fast, wherever he was headed.

And then I heard him right outside my door. Well, the door of the room I was currently in. Roscoe began to whine and use his paws at the door, trying to get in. I heard Fitz call for him, but he wouldn't stop trying to get inside this room. He must have picked up my scent? I didn't know what to do.

"Roscoe? What are you doing up here?" Fitz's voice was close. Like on the other side of the door close. I stopped breathing as the dog kept whining to be let into this room. If Fitz opened the door, he would see me and then there would be a hundred questions. So much for him never coming up here!

Marie's voice broke through the dog's whining. "Roscoe Grant! You will stop that right this instant!"

"Mom." Fitz chuckled. "I don't think he knows what his last name is."

"Of course he does. I've taught him things too you know."

I had the sheet up to my face to suppress the laughter that threatened to spill out at their ridiculous conversation over Roscoe. She might have taught the dog many things, but he never stopped whining.

And then the door handle slowly turned until the door opened, and the small dog bound inside. The door was quickly closed once he had disappeared. Roscoe bound onto the bed and sniffed me all over. Deciding I wasn't worth making a bunch of racket about, he turned in a circle a few times and then plopped down right beside me on the bed and never moved again. I began to pet him with a smile on my face. Roscoe and I were buddies now.

"Why did you let him go in there?" I heard Fitz ask his mother.

"He always goes in there. That's his room, Fitzgerald." Marie told him. "Don't you have someplace to be?"

"Good point. Thanks for taking care of my boy at the last minute. I love you mom." he told her. I smiled at the simplicity of his love for her.

"I'm assuming you're going to want us to keep him while you and Olivia go on your honeymoon? Where are the two of you going anyways?"

Marie was a crafty woman. She knew that I had been put in charge of the honeymoon destination and that only Fitz and I knew where we were going. We were keeping it from everyone we knew until the moment we left. I waited and listened more intently as I continued petting Roscoe who was snoozing soundly beside me.

"I could tell you, but my wife to be would not be very happy with me and I can't have that."

"You are a very smart man, Fitzgerald." Marie replied.

"I was raised by a smart woman and I'm about to marry a smart woman. Some of it was bound to rub off."

"Go but be safe. I know you and those crazy friends of yours. Don't drive please. Roscoe is in good hands."

I heard his footsteps retreating and I almost jumped out of that bed to go to him. I refrained knowing that we had our whole lives to surprise each other and spend time together. This weekend was for the girls. And Roscoe. I looked down at him. "You and I are gonna get along just fine. Aren't we?"

He never opened his eyes but wagged his tail lazily against the mattress.

 **Fitz's POV**  
Why did I tell Olivia I wanted to be a part of helping with the wedding? She had given me the task of finding a photographer and the entertainment. Sure, it all sounds like fun and games, until you're the one in charge of this shit and you have no idea what you're doing! So, I did what any guy would do. I called up my friends and bitched about it to them.

"Paul! How the hell is it hangin, man?"

"A little to the left, but what else is new? What do you want?"

"Why do I have to want something?" I chuckled.

"Because guys don't call up other guys just to talk." Paul explained.

"I talk to you all the time." I reminded him.

"No, ya don't. We text each other. You only ever voice call me when you want something. So, let's skip the bullshit and you just tell me what it is that you want?"

I sighed. "Olivia put me in charge of the entertainment for the wedding. I don't know anything about that! I thought she'd give me something like...like...picking out a cake topper, or flowers, or the guest sign in book. But not THIS! It's gonna be hard, it's a lot of pressure, and I don't wanna do it."

"Are you done whining like a little bitch?" he asked.

"Yea. I guess."

"Dude! This is not hard. This is the best news ever. Why would you even say the words cake topper or sign in book? You're making my sperm die! The word entertainment is the key. I don't understand how you can..."

See? This is why I called Paul. He knew how to cheer me up. I was chuckling to his interesting dialog even if I didn't believe him. "What are we gonna do, Paul? Interview magicians?"

"Remind me the next time I see you to slap the shit out of you. Have you ever seen a magician at a wedding? No, you haven't. Entertainment means a band. An excellent band."

"Yea. So?"

"So, we go find some excellent local talent. It'll be fun. We'll get the guys together and go out tonight to see what we can find. What do you think?"

I smiled and began nodding my head. "It sounds a whole hell of a lot better way to spend my Friday night than sitting around Googling cake to..."

"Don't even finish that sentence, man. Close the computer and go take a shower. I'll text you when we have a time and place."

"Good deal. Thanks, Paul."

The five of us met up at a place about forty minutes away from my house called The Tilted Keg. Music was loudly thumping out into the parking lot as we got out of cabs and made our way inside. The place was doing decent business, but it wasn't wall to wall people yet. It was still a little early for a Friday night though.

We got a table without having to wait and took our seats as we gave our drink orders. I looked up at the empty stage and asked, "what time does the band start playing?"

"Around nine." the waitress informed our table. "They are really good too. They were scheduled to be on that talent show that's on tv, but almost everyone in the band got the flu a few days before the show did try outs in town. It was a bad break."

"Wow. They're that good huh?" Aaron asked.

"Sounds like we picked a good night to check out entertainment." Matt exclaimed happily.

"I'll be back with your drinks in a few minutes." The waitress said with a smile.

The band took the stage a few minutes after nine and they were excellent. Almost everyone in the place was on their feet, facing the stage, and moving to the music. They had a good mix of fast and slower paced songs that kept the crowd happily in motion. When their first set was over, they promised to be back on stage later, and headed to the bar for something to drink. That was where I met them.

"Great set! Can I buy you guys a drink?" I offered.

The lead singer sized me up briefly before answering, "that'd be great. Thanks."

"I know you're trying to relax before you have to go up there and do that all over again, so I'll get right to the point. I'm looking for a band to play at my wedding reception. Are the five of you interested? Or is that even something you do at all?"

The singer flicked a glance behind him to the guys in the band and received careless shrugs. He turned his attention back to me. "We could consider it. When is the wedding?"

I smiled at him. Getting a band this good and this fast seemed a little too good to be true. But I wasn't going to jinx it. "August third."

"Like next month?" he asked in a shocked voice.

I nodded and sipped my drink.

"That's right around the corner, man!"

"It's a quick engagement." I explained.

"Ohhhhh. Baby on the way? I get it."

"What? No! It's not like that." I wished it was like that. "We just don't want to wait to be married."

"That's sweet. We'd like to meet with both of you and talk about the details. Money, place, the hours. All that shit."

"Don't you guys have a manager?"

"Don't need one." He tipped his bottle back the second the bartender set it in front of him and took a healthy swig. "They just take the money and set us up with gigs we aren't interested in playing at."

"Like a wedding?" I asked grinning. "Let's exchange information and I'll be in touch."

On Saturday afternoon we all got a text from Matt saying a great band was playing at Big Palm Hideout that night. It was closer than the place we had visited the night before so we all confirmed that we'd meet there.

We arrived about the same time as we did to the other bar on the previous night, but the parking lot was already full, and people were pouring inside to the teeth rattling sound. The five of us followed suit and made our way inside too. It was much more difficult to find a table here, but eventually we managed to be seated with a decent view to the stage.

Drinks were ordered, our eyes took in the scenery, and small talk was made when we thought we could hear each other. "I tagged all of us here on Facebook." Aaron announced with a proud smile.

"Why in the hell would you do that?" Mark asked loudly.

"Dude! The only people who tag themselves and their friends with their whereabouts on social media are twelve year old girls." Paul added, laughing.

"What about you?" Aaron asked Matt.

"What about me what?" Matt shot back.

"Don't you have something sarcastic to say. Something like...your old lady had better not text you bitching about where you are?" Aaron asked Matt.

"Nah. Lindsey isn't like that. Besides, she's out with her friends tonight too." Matt explained smoothly.

"Don't look at me." Fitz began with his hands up in front of him. "Liv put me in charge of this project. I don't keep secrets from her, and she doesn't care. She is far too preoccupied with finding her wedding dress."

"She still hasn't found it?" Matt asked. "I'll bet she's starting to stress over it huh?"

"She's been stressing over it for a while now. I hate that there isn't anything I can do about it." I admitted.

"I didn't think Lindsey would ever find her dress either. She would call me up crying and telling me that she thought we should push back the wedding date until she found her dress. Like the invitations hadn't already been mailed out." He chuckled. "My poor sweets was a mess."

"Liv has already tried that pushing the date back thing with me too. But getting married in August was her idea and now I'm too excited to push the wedding back. I just hope she finds a dress soon. I don't think I can deal with her crying. That shit is tough to deal with when it's something random." I said. "When it's something devastating – to her anyways – I'm sure it's much worse."

"Can we stop talking about wedding dresses? And crying? The two of you are putting a real damper on this whole process by bringing the sad shit from your relationships to guy's night out." Aaron informed them.

"When you meet a girl and fall in love, you'll be a little more tolerable to subjects other than yourself, Aaron. Until that happens, your life is going to be boring as hell because you are not that exciting of a subject to discuss."

"Oh shit! That was a good one!" Mark held his hand up and Matt slapped his palm.

"Ya know what?" Aaron began.

"Shut the fuck up, Aaron and take a drink of your beer like a good little girl. My man, Matty is taking no prisoners tonight and I don't think you can keep up with him?" Mark warned him.

The band took the stage as everyone went wild clapping and cheering them on. The five friends looked at each other wondering what they were missing here. It became clear the moment the music began to play. These guys were good. Great even. They made the talented band from last night seem like beginners somehow.

"Holy hell." Aaron muttered.

"Where in the hell did these guys come from?" Mark muttered.

Matt glanced at Fitz and the two men grinned at each other. "If they do weddings, the search is over, Fitzy!"

"I will get so many brownie points with Liv, it'll be insane. I'll be husband of the year or some shit!" I hoped to god they would perform at our wedding.

"I got that one covered this year." Matt said with a grin. When the song wound down, he let us know why. "Lindsey is pregnant."

"What?! This calls for shots!"

"Holy shit! Matty's gonna be a dad!"

"Way to go, Matt."

The three of us took turns hugging him and congratulating Matt on his big news. "Don't say anything to Lindsey yet though."

"She's getting fat already?" Aaron asked sympathetically.

"Why do we hang out with him? Someone remind me please." Matt asked the other two.

"Stop being a dipshit, Aaron." Mark said rolling his eyes.

"The chances of losing a baby are higher in the first three months or something like that. She doesn't want to get excited and then maybe something happens. So, we're keeping it quiet for now." Matt explained.

I sat back in my chair and silently sipped on my beer. I was happy for Matt and Lindsey and knew that the two of them would be fantastic parents. I also knew I would be an honorary uncle as one of the best friends of the baby's dad. But the topic of babies lately seemed to make me think about the close call Olivia and I had with her possible pregnancy recently. As scary as that had been, it made me want to start on our own family in the worst way. Matt's voice broke through my thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Yea. Great." I scrambled to come up with a reason that was anything but the real one for my mental distance. "Just trying to figure out how I'm going to get the chance to talk to the band when they are done playing their set? I bet they are swamped by people."

He clapped me on the shoulder and said, "We'll work out something."

We never did get to talk to the band after their first set. In fact, I was beginning to believe that it wasn't going to happen at all. Coming to that realization coupled with the baby longing I was feeling had me ordering another drink. If the night was going to go down in flames, it might as well be a fun one.

The band had taken the stage for their second set. My eyes were on them as they began to play a slow familiar song. It was one of those romantic songs everyone knows the words to, reducing the room full of strangers to a group of happy nostalgic drinkers. Everyone started swaying and singing the words with them.

As every eye was on the stage, a woman made her way to our table. We didn't notice her at first, but then as she stood right in front of us, one of the guys said, "I'm sorry, but could you move please honey? We can't see the band." Aaron told her.

That was the moment I turned my attention to the mystery lady.

"This chick could be Liv's twin sister!" Mark stated.

I moved my head forward and squinted. "Liv?" I asked in a voice much too low with all the noise going on around us.

"It's nice to see you boys out enjoying yourselves."

I scrambled to my feet when I heard her voice, as if that confirmed to me who she was. I stood up in front of her and asked, "What are you doing in California?"

"It's a long story, Fitzgerald. But I've been here since yesterday. In fact, I was at your mother's house when you dropped Roscoe off."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Will the two of you please stop talking? You're ruining the song and the fucking moment! Huh?"

She tilted her head towards the dance floor and smiled, holding out her hand. "Come dance with me. We'll talk later."

I simply followed her. No questions asked. I was so glad she was here. The two of us held onto each other tightly and swayed in the middle of the room as a few other couples did the same. I had her back in my arms and it was the best feeling in the world. I leaned close to her ear and said, "I'm so glad you're here."

"You are?" she asked shyly. "You and the guys seem to be having a good night?"

"We are. Were. Now that you're here we can go home and spend some time together." I dipped my head and touched my lips with hers. Olivia's hands found their way into my hair at the back of my neck. Confusion broke through my hazy mind and the words tumbled out. "What are you doing in California anyways?"

She ran her finger along my jaw, and it stopped just under my chin. Gripping it, she brought me closer for another heated kiss on the dance floor. She tasted like...champagne? Something bubbly and sweet. I was fairly sure it was champagne. I broke the kiss and squinted at her. "Have you been celebrating something today?"

The smile she gave me was my answer, but Olivia nodded along just the same.

"What were you celebrating, Liv?"

She looked up at me with her best smile. Her beautiful brown eyes seemed playful. "It's a secret. You have to come closer." She beckoned me closer with her index finger.

I brought my ear closer to her lips and I heard her say, "first of all, I love you and I missed you so much since the last time I saw you."

I couldn't stop grinning as I listened. I didn't even care about the band anymore. Just Liv.

"Second of all, your mother invited me out here for the weekend to go shopping for my wedding dress."

I jerked my head back to look her in the eye. My mother had reached out to my fiancé to take her wedding dress shopping because my girl had no mother to do that sort of thing with. It made me proud and a little jealous. "She did?"

Olivia tilted her head to the side and shot me a look without speaking. I rolled my eyes and brought my ear next to her mouth again. "You look exceptionally hot tonight. I don't know if it's those jeans or the face that I haven't seen you in two weeks or what, but I've got to have you as soon as we get home."

I started to move my head again, but Olivia held me in place. "I also want you to know that I found my wedding dress today. Isn't that awesome?"

I didn't turn to look at her but nodded.

"You can move now."

I picked her up in my arms and began taking her outside so we could actually hear each other talk. "You found your dress? Really? I'm not going to get a phone call with you crying?"

"Whaaaaaaa...?"

"I'm so happy for you! That's the best news I've heard all day! I have missed you too, by the way and I'm really glad you're here."

"Roscoe is really glad that I'm here too. He slept in the spare room with me last night. He's a very good cuddler."

"Not better than me?" I declared.

"Ummmmm..." she began. She shrieked out loud right there on the sidewalk as I dug my fingers into her ribs. "okay, okay. He's not better than you."

Looking down at her beautiful smiling face, I couldn't keep the words inside of me any longer. They just...tumbled out. "Liv, I want us to have a baby."

Her smiled disappeared immediately and she gave me a confused look. "What?"


	32. Get It

**Get It**

 **Fitz's POV**

It had been a few hours since Olivia had gone back to New York and the smoke had settled from my admission of wanting to have a baby with her. I felt like an asshole for putting her on the spot like that, but I couldn't do anything to change it now. So, I picked it apart for a while.

I was looking out the window of my office at corporate. The sun was shining brilliantly, giving us another gorgeous California day. I watched the people outside for a little while to keep my mind occupied. Some were in cars and some were walking around not doing anything in particular. None of them were in an office and I envied them for that reason. It was one in the afternoon and instead of keeping myself busy with work, I was still obsessing over the conversation Olivia and I had earlier that morning. It all started the previous night when I spotted her in the bar I was at with my friends. We were there in an attempt to find a great band for our wedding reception.

"Liv, I want us to have a baby." Her smile disappeared immediately, and she gave me a confused look.

"What?"

"Well, not tonight." I chuckled. She wasn't laughing and it made me wonder if she wasn't opposed to the idea? "I mean, unless you want to start tonight. I wouldn't be against that." She was looking up at me, probably wondering when I was going to wind down with this crazy idea. I was talking too much. I was overthinking it. I needed to turn my brain off and close my mouth.

"Hey." She must have noticed that I was slowly losing my mind, because she put her hands on my cheeks and smiled up at me. Her voice was soft and patient. "You look like a manager who can't find their inventory sheets at the end of the month. Breathe."

I took in a few breaths and started feeling better.

"Better?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Look, I know we had this conversation not too long ago when we were under pressure to deal with it because we thought I was pregnant. But we aren't under pressure now and it's a good time to talk about it. I'm just not so sure this is the best location though?" she said grinning.

As if I had momentarily forgotten where we were and why, I glanced up at the bright lights of the bar sign. The marquee boasted the band's name in bold letters.

"Why the fuck are you looking up at a bunch of letters when your beautiful bride to be is standing right here in front of you?"

By the time my head snapped down to the idiot asking me that question, he had Olivia in his arms and was spinning her around as she giggled. The giggle was the only thing that saved my friend's life. "Oh my goodness, I'm getting a little dizzy."

"Put her down, dumbass!" I demanded.

Once Olivia's feet were back on the ground she said, "you're Paul, right?"

His proud grin was uncontainable. "Is that a question, Liv? Cause you only get one."

She giggled even louder and kissed his cheek. "You're a little crazy, but I like that in a person."

"Why don't you dump flat ass Fitz and marry me instead?"

I was about to tell him to shut the hell up when Liv reached for my hand behind her back. She laced our fingers together but kept her eyes on Paul and said, "he's the only one for me. But I can keep an eye open for someone for you if you want?"

"Paul, stop hogging all of this beautiful woman's attention."

By now all of the guys were outside with us. I knew we would have to postpone our baby conversation until later. Olivia turned her head and her grin reappeared. "Well, if it isn't married Matty."

"The one to watch out for." he replied, grinning himself. "How the hell are ya, Liv?"

"I'm great now that I am with my fiancé and surrounded by all of these handsome men." She shook his hand politely.

"Tell me something" Matt asked her. "What do you see in our boy Fitzy? Besides his over endowment I mean?"

I chuckled and didn't even attempt to interrupt their conversation. Olivia had proved that she was more than able to handle herself with the guys. She started rubbing circles on my hand. God, I had missed having her around me.

"That's pretty damn special, you've got to admit." She said with a wink.

I grinned proudly at my friends over Olivia's head.

"He has a big heart, he's thoughtful, kind, funny -although not as funny as all of you..."

The four of them pointed at me and laughed.

"...and he loves me better than anyone ever has before." She looked at me and added, "and he's going to be a great dad."

My shocked eyes snapped to hers. I knew I probably looked like a fish out of water but at the moment, I didn't really care. What was she saying? Was she already pregnant? Had she let me spout my craziness, knowing that she was already carrying my baby? I needed answers. I was about to end the family reunion between her and the guys and demand them when Matt spoke up.

"Whoa! Are you saying that you guys are gonna have a baby?" he asked.

Olivia held my gaze for a moment before answering. "I'm not saying that."

I felt a little like a deflated balloon, but I kept quiet.

"That's too bad really." Matt said. "I just told the boys tonight that my wife, Lindsey and I are expecting. The baby is due sometime in the spring."

"Congratulations. Really. That's great!" Olivia told him.

"Our kids could have been best friends. Or betrothed to each other?"

Olivia shook her head back and forth while giggling. "Aren't we in the wrong era to be talking about arranged marriages?"

"Just planting a seed." Matt replied.

"Is that Aaron over there?" Olivia asked, craning her neck.

"Don't point him out." Paul advised. "You'll make things even worse."

"Nice to meet you, Liv." Aaron said, stepping forward with a puffed out chest.

"Look at this fucking guy." Mark muttered.

"You know I actually owe a big thank you to you for knowing exactly where to find the five of you tonight."

Aaron's pride grew even bigger and he took a moment to give each of us a superior look. "My social media tag."

"Yes! You're a genius."

"Uhhh, Liv. Don't do that." Matt advised.

"Do what?" she asked innocently.

"Don't praise lord shit for brains."

"He's right." Paul agreed.

"Shut the fuck up you guys. You're just jealous that you didn't think of it first." Aaron sputtered.

"You're just making things worse for those of us who are friends with him." Mark told her.

"Who are you? I don't remember seeing you on the Facetime chat with the guys at Fitz's house." Olivia asked.

"I'm Mark." He extended his hand and I watched the two of them shake. "I'm not going to pick you up like an over excited middle school boy. Or question your loyalty to our friend. Or even think I'm hot shit because I can tell the world where my friends and I are hanging out."

"Mark is the serious one huh?" Liv asked.

We all nodded.

"I'll bet there's a reason for it too?"

"There is, but we're not here to discuss that." Mark informed her. "I wanted to be the first one to say congrats on snatching up my man, Fitz. He's a good guy and he never shuts up about you. If it wasn't so adorable it would be annoying as hell."

Olivia turned to me and said, "awww, you talk about me to the guys?"

"Of course I do. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." I told her.

She got up on her tiptoes and kissed me. The guys made ridiculous noises behind us, but we didn't pay them any attention.

"Don't forget about Roscoe, you ass." Aaron exclaimed.

"Dude, you don't compare your dog with your woman." Matt advised.

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Matt. Jesus!"

"You're a fucking idiot, Aaron. Just stop talking!"

"This has been fun and everything, but I think Fitz and I are going home now. We've got some catching up to do before I fly back home in the morning."

"Noooo, Liv. Don't go!"

"Come on, Liv. Stay out with us!"

"Everyone is going to end up going home like little old ladies if the two of you leave now."

"Did you get that band for the reception?" She asked me. "They were excellent."

I was enjoying the interaction between my friends and my girl and missed the question that was directed at me. "Fitz? Did you?"

"Did I what?" I asked, coming back to reality.

"Did you get the band for the reception?"

"Oh. That." I stammered. "Ummm, no. Not yet."

"Really?"

"Yes really. We were busy, Liv." I said in a defensive tone.

She chuckled humorlessly. "When I walked in the five of you were singing along with the crowd like sad drunks."

"That's super judgy, Liv." Paul said, adding his opinion.

"That song is a fucking classic. You can't judge us for loving a song that's so great it stands the test of time." Mark pointed out.

"It does stand the test of time." Olivia exclaimed. "That song was sung by a boy band ten years ago. It's catchy and cute and could very well be a classic. But none of that matters if we can't enjoy them singing it at our wedding reception."

"Wait! They would sing that song?" Aaron asked.

"You could request it." Olivia explained.

"Jesus, Aaron. We all get so sick of explaining basic shit to you. Roscoe is smarter than you are some days."

Aaron threw up his middle finger and loudly exclaimed, "fuck you, Matt."

Things were starting to get out of hand, and I wanted to get Liv home so we could talk some more about this baby business. And if that led to us either trying or practicing, I wouldn't complain. "I think Liv and I are going to call it a night, guys."

"For fuck's sake, man."

"Don't go home and leave me with them, Fitz."

Olivia looked up at me and I thought I was about to be praised for agreeing with her. I thought wrong.

"I'm not going home until we have that band for the reception." She informed me.

"What the...?" I asked.

"YEAAA, Liv!" Matt exclaimed. "Take no prisoners!"

"That's my girl." Paul chimed in.

"She's actually Fitz's girl." Aaron said.

"Oh my god, dude. Go home."

"Aaron? If we get this band secured for the wedding reception, I'll dance with you when they play that song." Olivia offered. "Are you on my side here?"

"Holy fuck." Matt muttered. He was in awe of the woman's negotiation's skills.

"Aaron is going to want to be her maid of honor." Paul whispered to me on a laugh.

Mark clapped me on the back and said, "If you ever divorce Olivia, Aaron will go to her side. No questions asked. Your woman is very smart."

"Of course she is. She's marrying me." I replied with a grin.

"It's a good thing she's so smart because you're a fucking idiot in comparison."

"Let's go get this band gentlemen." Olivia said, taking the lead and heading for the door.

"She's walking in there like Beyonce or some shit."

"If she's Beyonce, what does that make us?"

"The shitty wanna be back up dancers."

The five of us laughed as we followed my little woman back inside the bar. We all watched in amazement as she struck up a conversation with the band. Instead of talking to the lead singer as I had done, Olivia spoke to all of them as equals. it turned out that was the right move because the drummer was also the leader of the band.

Within an hour of re-entering the bar, Olivia had the band eating out of the palm of her hand and laughing at her anecdotes while I plied them with drinks. They promised to perform at our wedding reception, and we arranged to meet later that week to sign a contract and pay them. Half now. Half when the job was done.

Finally, after more hugs from the guys and more praise than one person should have in one lifetime for her fantastic negotiating abilities, Olivia and I called it a night, got into a taxi, and headed to my house. The second my front door closed behind us, Olivia jumped into my arms and began kissing me enthusiastically. I really wanted to talk but figured we'd get to that later. Who was I to dictate the order of events here tonight?

I held her in my arms and made my way to my bedroom. "Mmmm, missed you." Olivia told me when her tongue wasn't jammed into my mouth. "Hurry" she insisted.

We were still in the living room, but I wasn't going to argue with her about location. I set her on her feet and began pulling her leggings down in a rush. I was in a mad rush to get her naked but stopped long enough to enjoy the scenery along the way.

Blue panties. A navy blue lacy thing. Very sexy.

The appreciation my eyes gave them lasted a good ten seconds and then I anxiously pulled them down her brown thighs and got rid of them. Looking around the room for a place to set her seeing as we were not going to make it all the way to the bedroom, I settled on the recliner I always sat in when I watched basketball games.

I set Liv down in the chair and met her eyes as she looked at me expectantly. "Someone's impatient tonight."

"No!" I exclaimed loudly. "I was trying to do what you wanted by hurrying. This is where I sit during basketball season, so I know it's comfortable."

"I was just giving you a hard time" she explained.

"It'll be my turn to give you a hard time a little later." I warned her.

"What are you going to do with me right now though?" she teased.

I looked at her and tried to figure that out. She was nude from the waist down. The top half needed to match the lower half, I decided. It was a beginning. Deciding it didn't have to be flowers and romance, I reached down and pulled her black shirt up and over her head. Her bra was red and white, and I took a moment to appreciate my little patriot before removing it as well.

"Now what?" She boldly asked. "I haven't seen you in a long time and I've missed you."

"You have huh?" I asked with a smirk.

"I have." she replied. "I've missed you more than you have missed me."

"That's impossible, Liv."

"Is it?" She asked with a coy smile.

"It absolutely is. Do you know how I know that that is actually a fact? Which one of us is completely nude right now and which one of us is still fully dressed?" I had her there and she knew it. I took her silence as concession. "I'm okay with you being the one without clothes on because you are much better to look at when you're naked."

"Stop talking and come kiss me." She instructed me.

I leaned down and captured her lips with my own. Olivia grabbed the back of my neck and anxiously pulled me closer until I had crumpled on top of her. She didn't seem to care that all of my weight was on her, so I stayed in place and continued kissing her. I could still faintly taste the champagne on her tongue, but quickly put it out of my mind.

"Someone has missed me an awful lot." I said in a low voice. My hands were on autopilot and began touching her warm soft skin. She felt better than I remembered somehow.

I shifted her to lying down underneath me and just couldn't get comfortable. After a few minutes, I gave up trying and squatted on the floor in front of the chair. I grabbed her hips and swiftly pulled her little body to the edge of the chair. I enjoyed the look of shock that registered on her gorgeous face. Bending her knees, I brought her feet up and then pushed them open, revealing the prize I was about to destroy with my tongue.

She got comfortable and once again brought her hand to the back of my neck and pulled my head closer for a kiss. When our lips were about to meet, she suddenly turned her head to the right and none too gently shoved my head down between her legs. She really had missed me.

Knowing time wasn't on our side, I didn't waste a moment by building her up slowly. I devoured her, anxiously thrashing my tongue all over every inch of her exposed center. Olivia's grip on the back of my neck intensified significantly, and I couldn't tell if she was trying to hold me in place or pull me closer. The fleeting thought left my mind as quickly as it entered it and I continued my work.

Olivia was breathing heavily, moaning loudly, and encouraging me to continue using colorful words and chanting my name. I slid two fingers deep inside of her and began flicking my tongue on her bundle of nerves. Her voice grew louder. The words became much more colorful, and my name was no longer a chant, but sounded more like a determined demand.

She came apart just as loudly. Like a song that called out to my soul. She fell back against the chair and her rubbery legs fell as well. Her chest was heaving as she drew in air and expelled it in deep breaths. Her hair was not the perfectly styled bone straight work of art it had been earlier.

Gone was her sarcasm and needy demands. Her smart mouth was currently slightly parted, and her lips looked dry. Her big beautiful brown eyes that always captivated me, were closed as she concentrated on the simple task of breathing. In short, Olivia Pope looked like she had been used up. It was a sexy sight to behold, and I reminded myself that I was nowhere near done with her.

While she collected herself, I stood up and began removing my own clothes. All while keeping my eyes on Liv. In no time at all, the blue polo I had one, and my jeans were in a small pile on the floor. I was peeling off my socks when she finally opened her eyes. The glare she shot me made me chuckle. Here was this woman, naked as the day she was born, glaring at me with such hate after I had just given her one of the loudest orgasms in her life. "What's the matter with you?" I asked.

"You unwrapped my gift?" She accused.

"Excuse me?" I had heard her correctly, but her words didn't make sense. "I'm not a gift. I've definitely got something to give you though."

"You are my gift. All of you. And no one told you to open my gift!"

She seemed truly pissed off at me for taking my own clothes off. "Liv, I was just trying to catch up to where you were at. I wasn't trying to make you mad. I can make you happy again if you'll let me?" I hooked my thumb on the inside of my boxer briefs against my hip and began to tug them down.

"Don't you dare take those off!" she demanded loudly.

I squinted down at her but stopped tugging on them and brought both of my hands up in mock surrender in front of her. "Sorry. I'm sorry. You want the honor of doing it yourself?"

"I do." she stated with authority. "You got to unwrap me. It's only fair."

"Fine. But you've got to catch me first. And my underwear might fall off in the process." I grinned and darted out of the room faster than she could process my words and begin to comprehend what I had just told her.

The last thing I heard as I scrambled for a hiding spot was her bellowing, "Fitzgerald Grant!"

 **Olivia's POV**  
It had been a fantastic and productive weekend in California. I had spent some quality time with my soon to be mother in law, found the perfect wedding dress, met my fiancé's hilarious best friends, nabbed the band for our reception, and got said fiancé naked. All within the span of forty eight hours. Definitely a productive weekend.

The next morning the two of us were lying in his big comfy bed wearing nothing but contented smiles. It had been a mostly sleepless night and I was thankful I was off on Mondays. Fitz had gotten in touch with Abby and requested the morning off so he could take me to the airport himself. He promised to be in the office by noon and we were taking advantage of every minute until we had to get up.

His arms were around me as I lay on my side with my head resting comfortably on his shoulder. I was absentmindedly rubbing small circles on his chest, feeling the short coarse hairs tickle my fingers. It was one of those moments where it feels like everything in the world is perfect. Like nothing bad can touch you or affect you. You just want to live in the moment forever. But of course, you can't.

"Liv?"

I had been on the verge of falling asleep and his deep voice brought me back to reality. I stirred some and replied with a simple, "hmmm?"

"I don't want to ruin the end of our time together here, but I'd really like for us to talk. If you're okay with that I mean?"

He wanted to talk about babies. He was so cute and already predictable to me in so many ways. It made me smile. "Yea. I'm okay with that. What do you want to talk about?"

Now it was his turn to stir. He shifted his legs under the thin sheet and remained silent for a while before telling me what was on his mind. "I want to know where you stand on the baby issue? Do you want to have kids? Is it something that you ever think about? Or are you happy with the way things are now and don't want that to change by having a baby?"

"So, you want to talk about kids?" I asked.

"Well, yea. Our conversation about it last night was cut short when the guys followed us outside and took over the conversation with their Liv worship."

I picked up my head and turned my body so I could look up at him. "Awww, are you jealous that they like me more than they like you?"

He chuckled. "No. I'm glad they took a liking to you from the beginning. Naturally, they all think you're smoking hot..."

"Naturally." I agreed.

"...and they want to be around you because you are beautiful. But when you landed the band for the reception, you got their full attention and now they respect you as well as think you are gorgeous." he explained.

"You chose such great men for friends." I agreed with a grin.

"If you say so. But back to what I was saying. We didn't get to finish the conversation we had started about babies."

"What conversation was that?" I asked innocently.

"Liv!" he said in a warning tone.

"I'm just kidding. But I am glad that they showed up when they did. Even if it was the middle of our conversation."

"Why?" he all but demanded.

"Because a bar is not the right place to have a serious conversation about having a baby." I informed him.

"But laying naked in bed is the perfect spot to discuss it?" Fitz asked.

"Well, yea. It's where we would most likely make the baby in question. Besides, I can talk to you about anything when I have you naked. Sports, politics, work..."

"After we are married, we are never going to talk about work when we're naked."

"We probably won't talk much at all after we're married and have each other naked."

"That's the truth." He kissed the top of my head. "Now. What are your thoughts on a baby or more than one baby? For us? I'd like to know what my forever is going to look like with you."

"You planning to back out if it isn't what you expect?" I asked.

"Never. The ring is on your finger, Liv. There's no escaping now. You're stuck with me."

I grinned at his words. "Stuck isn't the right word. Happily committed is a little better don't you think?"

He grinned back at me. "I can't wait until you are officially my wife."

"Yea? Why's that?"

"Because I'm going to make you so happy."

"You already do." I moved up his body so we could join lips in a heated kiss.

He broke the kiss and in an aggravated tone said, "Stop using your wicked womanly ways to get out of this conversation, Liv. I am just a man. A weak one too. Your plan would easily succeed."

"I have plans for you, alright. But I am saving them all up for the honeymoon."

"Is that a fact? Would you care to tell me about some of them?"

"Nope. Now. Back to babies." I reminded him.

"Back to babies." he echoed.

"I know you want to have a baby. You've been crystal clear about that since we had that scare a few months ago. You weren't demanding about it, but you were honest and patient with me as I tried to figure out how I felt about the whole thing. I want you to know that your patience meant more to me than anything. I know that wasn't an easy thing for you to give, but you did it anyways."

"I would give you anything, Liv. You have my whole heart."

"I think part of me is scared to have kids because I don't have parents to get guidance from. When Sophia was born Leesa was either on the phone with her parents or at their house all the time. I don't have that luxury and it bothers me. Kids should have grandparents around them when they are little. I don't say that to take anything away from your parents. They are wonderful people and will love our baby or babies wholeheartedly. And I know I could talk to your mother about things. But it's not quite the same as having my own mother around to talk to. You know what I mean?"

"That makes sense. I can only imagine how hard it must be to live day to day without having your parents around to talk to whenever you want to. And you're right. Grandparents are supposed to show their grandchildren all the things that they think are important. And spoil them and keep them for sleepovers. I'm really sorry that you don't have that. And I know that if we have kids, they will be the ones who will miss out on the joy of getting to know the amazing people who brought their mother into the world and watched her grow up."

A tear slid down my face and I felt his arms tighten around me. It was the most he had ever said about my parents and all of his words were precious to me. "You can't say things like that when I'm trying to tell you that I want to have a baby with you, Fitz."

I'm sor...What?" His eyes bulged wide before they turned to narrow slits. "You want to have a baby with me?"

"I do."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Well, I've weighed the pros and cons of the whole situation and it seems like a good idea." I wished I had a picture of his face in that moment. It was a hilariously adorable mixture of disbelief and arrogance. I waited for the sarcasm that was surely about to leave his mouth.

"Name one con, Liv." he demanded with a scowl.

There it was. My man was not overjoyed at the news that his beautiful and intelligent fiancé had just agreed to have children with him, after careful deliberation. Instead, he was demanding to know what negative aspects I had come up with on my list of pros and cons of having a child with him. I shook my head back and forth at him. He was ridiculous, but he was all mine. Being all mine meant that I could mess with him whenever I pleased. I was pleased to mess with him now.

"Really? You want me to rattle off the details of how the two of us having a baby right now could be a bad thing?" I asked.

"That's not what I'm saying. I want to hear just one reason you came up with that told you us having a baby would be a bad thing."

"Just one?"

"Just one."

He wasn't playing. So I told him the truth. "Well, Fitz, us having a baby right now would be really difficult work wise. We both just started a new position in the company..."

"One the company thought we were long overdue and completely competent to handle."

"Right. And we are beginning to find our stride and I'm going to...what? Go on maternity leave for two months while you keep on working? I'll lose touch with everything we're working on."

"Yea. Lose touch. Not lose completely. Liv, you wouldn't be moving to another country. You could work from home on a laptop if you chose to. No one is going to leave you alone with a baby for eight weeks, least of all me, while I make new contacts and go out on the town. It's not gonna happen like that. Trust me. I'm going to be constantly whining to Abby about wanting to stay home with you two instead of going to work. I'm going to be fucking pathetic."

He was essentially saying that he would be home as often as possible and be as hands on with our baby as I would let him. It was what every woman probably dreamed of hearing from her man. There would be hell to pay if he changed his mind. I don't think he would do that, but just to be on the safe side I told him, "If you're saying all of this just to get your son or daughter in my belly I will kick your ass, Fitzgerald Grant."

"I'm not. But you need to know that having a baby doesn't mean your life is over. There will be changes, sure. Lots of them. But it will be worth it because we will have the best of both of us wrapped up in one little person."

"We did say that we would have a damn cute kid." I reminded him in a dreamy voice.

"Damn near perfection." He added. "I don't want you to feel like you have to have a baby for me. That's not what I want."

"What do you want?" I asked him.

"I want for us to love each other so much that there's literally nowhere else for all of that love to go. And I want us to have someone in our lives who would benefit from all of that love and thrive on it and grow because of it. I want us to have a child so that a long time from now, when we're old and gray, and we look back on our lives, we can say 'he or she is the best thing we ever did with our lives'."

"But how do you know we will say that?" I asked.

"Because we are smart people with a lot of love to give.

"I think that you are going to be an amazing father."

"You do?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I think you will be a great mother. And before you ask me why, it's because you want to be. You've taken the time to think about just about every aspect of the two of us having a baby. Not a lot of people do that. They just decide they want a baby and go for it. But you've poured your heart into it and really thought a lot about it. I think it will make you an even better person too. I'm really lucky to be the guy who gets to have babies with you."

My ovaries were screaming at me to get pregnant right now after hearing his touching speech. I looked up at him. Was he real? Men just don't talk to their fiancés like that. Do they? I've never heard any of my friends mention a conversation like this one. They probably happened, but it didn't matter because none of the men were Fitz. He was all that mattered to me and we were going to have a baby together. Depending on how that turned out, we'd have a second conversation about having another one a few years later. "You're kind of perfect." I told him.

"I know. You're lucky that way." Fitz replied with a grin. "Let me ask you a question. Do you want to wait until we are married to start our family or is say...now an acceptable time?"

I was ready for little replicas of Fitz running around our house laughing and giving me kisses. The thought of that made me smile up at him. "I think we should practice now. If we are any good at the practice, it could turn into a baby. Who knows?" I said with a grin of my own.

Fitz pulled me up his long lean body and kissed me tenderly. When he broke the kiss he said, "I love you so much, you know?"

"Yea, I know. I'm lucky that way."

Putting his hands on my hips, he lifted me over his impressive hard length. "Are you ready to make a baby with me, Liv?"

I wiggled my hips back and forth and took him inside of me. "Or practice until we have it perfected?"

He kept his hands on my hips and moved his up and down. "I don't know how it gets any more perfect than how we already do it, Liv? But if every practice feels this good, then I say we practice all the time."

I leaned down and kissed him. Practicing with him all the time was going to be impossible since we currently lived in two different states. I knew that would change once we were married and were living under the same roof. But for the next few weeks, the weekends would be our scheduled practices. "It would be great if we got it on the first try, wouldn't it?"

"You're talking too much. It'll ruin my baby making concentration."

"Oh. I'm sorry." I said, playing along with a smile. "Have you practiced making a baby with anyone before?"

His eyes got huge as he stared up at me. "What? No way!"

"I didn't think so. I was just wondering how you knew what your baby making concentration was like if you've never done it before?" I had him there and we both knew it.

"You...I..." he stuttered. I could see that he was trying to figure out a way to get out of this mess he had gotten himself into. It was entertaining as hell for me to watch. I waited silently for his reply.

He held onto me tightly and rolled us over so that I was underneath him. Somehow even the scowl on his face made him look handsome. Dangerously so. I wasn't scared of him, but he tried. I could practically hear the gears in his head turning, trying to think of what to say. Instead, he dipped his head into my neck and began licking, sucking, and kissing the sensitive skin there.

Now it was my turn to hold onto him tightly. He was a master in my neck, and I was helpless against him. I was writhing and wiggling under the weight of his body, craving more. Desperate for more, when he stopped. He looked down at me triumphantly and said, "I think we are going to have to set aside some silent practices. You talk too much sometimes. I almost forgot how to make you quiet when you're naked, but I remembered just in time."

His hips went into overdrive and I screamed loudly as I clung to him.


	33. Call of Duty

**Call of Duty**

 **Olivia's POV**  
Two weeks! There were only two weeks left until the big day! How was that possible? Time had flown right by me, almost as if I hadn't been paying attention. But I had been! I had accomplished a million things, but every time I checked one thing off of my list, another one somehow popped up.

A problem with the caterer. Low count of confirmed RSVP cards. Misspelling Fitz's last name on the cake. And just how in the hell do you misspell a five letter name like Grant?! Someone complaining about the choice of food served at the reception.

It was like the universe was testing my patience. And I was failing miserably.

I called Fitz at work because I needed to vent. More importantly, I just needed to hear his voice. The voice of reason that I sometimes hated, I was now wishing was in the same room with me. He answered on the second ring with a chipper voice. "Look, miss. I've told you numerous times before. You've got to stop calling me. My fiancé is territorial and possessive as hell. She's also slightly unstable these days."

I took no offense to his playful words. I knew that Fitz was trying to keep the mood light and fun with a little bit of flirting mixed in for good measure. So, I had no idea why, at that moment, I burst into tears?

"Liv?" He said my name urgently, trying to get my attention. He had no idea that he already had it in full, but I wasn't able to form words just yet. "Liv? Talk to me. Please!"

As my emotional outburst wound down, I wiped my eyes and nose, feeling like a fool. I was immediately exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go home and crawl into my bed and sleep for the rest of the day. I was thankful there was only a few hours left of this work day. Instead, I took a deep breath, and in a shaky voice said, "I don't know what that was? I'm so sorry."

"I'm the one who is sorry. I shouldn't have called you unstable. Even jokingly. I'm sorry, Liv. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"No, don't apologize. You were just playing around. I know that."

"Then what's the matter? Whatever it is that's causing you to get upset needs to go. Tell me what it is and I'll remove it from your life. I don't care what it is."

"It's the wedding." I admitted.

"Tough shit. I'm marrying you and there's no getting out of it now, Liv."

He sounded so serious, but his words were so ridiculous, that they made me snort. Maybe that was what he intended to begin with? "I don't want to get out of it. It's just a lot and today it was a bit overwhelming is all. And you're not marrying me. I'm marrying you." I informed him.

"You're definitely getting the better part of this deal. A man and a dog? Come on. I'll bet you haven't gotten an offer this sweet before in your whole life?"

This crazy man was going to be my husband. I could not wait! Mrs. Crazy had a nice ring to it.

"What's causing you to feel so overwhelmed today? I'm here to help. You tell me what to do and I'll do it. I don't want my future wife to be stressed today."

He was being awfully damned sweet and thoughtful. Just like every other day since I met him. I sighed loudly. "It's nothing serious really. Just a lot of little things that need my attention. And it seems like every time I tackle one of them, another one comes along and takes it's place. It's just frustrating. Probably stuff every bride deals with. And a whole lot better than I am?"

"I don't care about every other bride. I only care about one bride. Mine. And I want my bride to be a happy woman enjoying her last two weeks of freedom before the ball and chain is securely fastened around her ankle keeping her close to me forever."

Now I did laugh out loud.

"Seriously, Liv. I don't want you to be freaking out about things. Stress isn't good for you. Let me help."

"Okay. You got a pen?"

"Got it."

"I need you to call the caterer and tell her that I need one vegan meal. I need..."

"Who the fuck is bitching about that?" he interrupted. When his question was met with silence he quietly said, "Sorry. What else?"

"I need you to forward me the confirmation email from the photographer stating what time he is going to be at your house for pictures before the ceremony begins. I also need to know how many people are coming to the wedding so the appropriate number of chairs can be set up on the beach. I know it won't be many, but I'd rather not have twenty empty chairs in pictures making it look like no one showed up at all."

"That makes sense. What else?" he asked.

"They misspelled your last name on the cake." I said flatly.

"Are you kidding?" he demanded. "It's five letters!"

"I know. You would think that after I wrote it down on a piece of paper that the cake decorator would have no problems. But apparently, that's too high of a hope to have."

"If our last name had been spelled wrong on our wedding cake, I would have gone ape shit on someone!"

I laughed again. He was so vain.

"What was your new last name going to be before the correction was made?" he asked.

"Brant."

"No disrespect to any Brant's in the world, but HELL NO! We paid for Mr. & Mrs. Grant and we'd better get Mr. and Mrs. Grant."

He had me feeling infinitely better now. I was grinning at his dramatic self and looking at a picture of us on my desk. "What if Mr. Brant is a better man than you are though? Maybe I made a mistake?"

"And maybe I need to fly East and remind you of just how good I really am? Get you to tell me how good of a man I am? There's this really expressive voice you get when I.."

"Okay! You've made your point." I chuckled. "And...you've made me feel a lot better too. I knew you would. It's why I called you. So, thank you for that."

"You used me?" He asked in mock outrage.

"The next time I see you I'm going to use you too."

"You are? What are you going to do to me, Miss Pope? Be specific please."

I was grinning widely at his voice. Only Fitz could lead a phone call from tears to sex in a matter of minutes. "It'll be our honeymoon and I'll be Mrs. Grant at that point. Please keep that in mind. But I do plan to do a lot of interesting things to you."

"I need details! Something to look forward to! Something I can think about for the next two weeks. I know they are going to be the longest two weeks of my life."

"Awww, poor baby. I'm not exactly loving all this time to myself either." I admitted. "I could really use a Fitz fix."

"A Fitz fix? Holy shit, Liv. Please tell me that's code for sex because it sounds like code for sex."

"It's definitely code for sex." I told him in a sultry voice. "I miss you and I need you."

"Why do you say things like this when I am thousands of miles away? It's really rude, Liv. What am I supposed to do about it from here?"

"Where are you right now?" I asked.

"I came home for lunch. Why?"

I stood up and closed the blinds in my office and locked the door before going back to my chair. "I just locked the door to my office and shut the blinds. I want a Fitz fix and I want it now."

"Liv! I thought I just explained to you that..."

I smiled as the realization of what I was suggesting finally hit him.

"Ohhhhhhhh! I see. My wife to be needs a Fitz fix and I'm going to take care of that for her. I don't know why the words Fitz fix are so sexy, but holy fuck they are making me hard. Hang on a sec."

I heard him rustling around but had no idea what he was doing. When he spoke again, his voice was deep and full of authority.

"Are you sitting in your leather chair?"

"MmmmHmmm."

"What are you wearing? Pants? A skirt? A dress? What?"

"A skirt. Do you want to know what color it is?"

"I don't give a fuck what color it is. Take it off. Your panties too."

"Fitz. I can't just run around the office without..."

"You're not running around anywhere. Take the skirt off." he commanded. "Now!"

Well dam! Him telling me what to do was kind of hot. I replied with a sultry, "yes, sir" and took it off.

"Now sit your cute little ass down on the edge of your desk." he instructed me.

"I have papers all over it. And you want me to put my bare ass on..."

"Am I going to get a bunch of lip every time I tell you what to do?" He asked in a low threatening voice. "Get your ass on top of your desk right this minute."

"This was a bad idea" I muttered. He ignored me, of course. I waited for him to tell me what to do next, but he had clammed up on me. "Fitz?"

When he didn't reply, I pulled my phone from my ear and looked at the face of it. He had ended the call. What the fuck?! I was about to call him back when I saw that he was trying to facetime me. Of course he wanted to watch. I quickly jumped up on the edge of my desk and accepted it.

"Hi." he said grinning at me.

"Hi yourself." I replied. I noticed he was sitting on his sofa, all comfy cozy. "Simple phone sex wouldn't suffice, huh? You had to get a visual too?"

His grin grew wider and he nodded. "What was it you said you needed?"

I rolled my eyes at him. He was ridiculous. "A Fitz fix?"

"MmmHmm. See what those words do to me?" He moved his phone down to his ginormous erection he was slowly stroking. "Hard as a rock, Liv."

"Where are your pants?" I asked as I openly stared at him.

"I seemed to have lost them. I figured if you were going to be running around the office nude from the waist down then we should match. It's only fair."

"God, I miss you." I admitted, biting my lip. "I wish you were here with me right now."

"So do I. I would tear your ass up all over that desk of yours. Are you sitting on it like a good girl?"

"I wish I was sitting on it. Just come and visit me, Fitz. I need you so bad." I whined.

"Shhh. It's two weeks and waiting was your idea. So, we'll make do. Put your feet on top of the arm rests of your chair, letting your legs fall open. Nice and wide. And let me see you do it."

I held my phone down and did as I was told. I heard him groan in satisfaction. "Fuck, Liv. You are so sexy just sitting there like that. I wish I was sitting in your chair right now."

"What would you do to me, Fitz?" I asked boldly.

"I would slide a couple of fingers inside of you while my tongue drove you to the brink of insanity."

His voice sounded strained and I knew this was not going to last long at this rate. I reached a hand down and began sliding two fingers in and out of myself. "Like this?" I asked on a contented sigh.

"Mmmmm, just like that. The future Mrs. Grant is so incredibly sexy." he murmured and continued slowly stroking himself.

"My husband to be is the smartest man...oooooh...on Earth. This is a great idea. Feels so good too. Might be the next best thing to having you here in person?"

"There is no substitute for the two of us being together. But...you're right. This is pretty damned good."

I had gotten caught up in what I was doing and feeling really good about it. I was breathing heavy and panting out his name on repeat as my fingers went a little faster. I could hear Fitz encouraging me as I tried to concentrate.

He was breathing heavier now too. "The...next time we do this...you need to be..." He threw his head back with his eyes closed. "Fuck!...at home."

"I agree completely! I'm too nervous about someone knocking on my door or...somehow walking in on me even though the door is locked."

"You don't seem to be all that nervous to me, Liv." He chuckled. "But in all seriousness? This is not going to last anywhere near as long as I wish it could, and we'll work on that the next time we attempt it. I'm sorry about that, but I'm gonna need for you to speed things along."

I sped things along. Our heavy breathing mixed in with pleasure filled moans and promises of what we were going to do to each other when we were together again made my office surely sound like a porno was being filmed in here to a passerby. At the moment, I could care less though and continued pushing myself to the brink of madness. I tried keeping my eyes on him, watching what he was doing, but it was hopeless. Between the things I was feeling and the sounds that were coming from both of us, my senses were on overload.

Thankfully, Fitz was clear headed enough to pant out, "Don't scream, Liv. You're...gonna have to keep it...down since you're...at work."

I was caught between not caring what anyone heard or thought and worried that they would think I was dying and break the door down as I came. "Fitz...I...I'm I'm I'm..."

"Just let go, Liv. You are so beautiful when you reach your peak. Your forehead crinkles a little and you shut your eyes tight. Just like you're doing right now. And then you release that breath you've been holding for a while and it all comes out in a loud whoosh. And then your face is the picture of peaceful contentment. There it is. I live to see that look on your face every single time. Well, that and the screaming."

I put my other hand down on my desk behind me and leaned back on it and watched Fitz get himself across the finish line. He had his eyes closed, the phone was nowhere where it should be. I think it was pointed up at the ceiling? Or it was a close up of the couch cushion. I couldn't tell. But I could hear him breathing hard and grunting. It was sexy as hell to me.

"You're almost there." I said encouraging him. "If I was there, I would have you in my mouth and you would have your hand on the back of my head, pushing me to take more of you."

"Yes. Fuck, Liv. I need your mouth on me." he said loudly.

"In two weeks, you are going to be my husband and I am going to taste every inch of your skin. My mouth is going to be everywhere, and I am going to mark your body with it." I promised.

He grunted loudly and while his body was out of the screen, I knew he was frozen. He always stopped moving for a few moments when he exploded. It was the only time his body probably ever truly had a moment's peace. He was gasping for air and I gave him a minute to calm down from the high he had just experienced.

The phone jiggled and then his handsome face came into view. "Hi." I said.

"Hi yourself. Do you feel better now?" he asked.

"I do." I said with a grin. "We will definitely have to do that again. We need the practice if we are going to make it through these next two weeks apart."

"That's a good point. And practice makes perfect." he pointed out.

I shrugged lightly and gave him a look. "And who knows? Maybe the next time it will be my turn to catch you unaware at the office and force you to strip down."

"That would be sexy as hell. Call me at work any time. I'm glad you're feeling less overwhelmed now than before. Just think, after we're married, you'll never feel overwhelmed again because I'll be there to relieve the pressure." He wiggled his eyebrows at me and chuckled as I shook my head and giggled at him.

"You are ridiculous. Go eat something and then go back to work. I need to know I am marrying a productive member of society and not a horny slacker."

"You are definitely getting the best of both sides of me." He glanced at his watch. "It's practically quitting time for you. Lucky! Do you have plans tonight?"

"I am staying at home and double checking my checklists, making sure everything that can be done has been taken care of. We are on a time crunch now, Fitz. Every detail matters. Thankfully, I am in a much better mood to deal with all of this stuff." I blew him a kiss. "Now, I've got to wrap a few things up and get the hell out of here before traffic becomes insane and it takes me forever to get home."

"Call me later please. I love you, Liv. And...thanks for the show. It was amazing." he said with a grin.

"You need to work on your camera angles. I saw next to nothing."

"I was busy!" He said in a defensive tone.

"Hey! I was busy too, but I made sure you got to see what you wanted to see."

"I will work on my camera angles."

"It's all I'm saying." I replied with a grin. "I love you. I'll call you before bed. Maybe I'll give you something to look at while I get ready for bed?"

"Don't forget to put your skirt back on." Fitz chuckled.

 **Fitz's POV**  
I called the caterer and strongly suggested that if any issues came up between now and the wedding, they needed to call me from now on and not Olivia. I also strongly suggested that no more issues come up. People at the reception could either eat what was served or go the hell home. Picky ass eaters making our lives a living hell because they didn't want the chicken was a little much.

The photographer was a lot more laid back. To the point where I worried if he knew who I was or when the wedding was to take place. He assured me that all was cool, man. It was on his calendar and that I shouldn't stress. I told him I was working on it. He emailed both Olivia and I the time he would be at my house to begin taking pictures.

The baker was overly apologetic about the misspelling of my last name. The person who had been put in charge of making the topper that simply said Mr. & Mrs. Grant saw her mistake as soon as she made it. She remade the topper immediately with the correct spelling. In her joy to show the finished product to Liv, she forgot to swap out the fixed topper for the mistaken one.

I leaned back in the big leather chair in my office and put my hands behind my neck with a smile on my face. My list was done, and it was fairly easy to deal with all of it. The wedding should go off without a hitch.

Hitch. Now that was a great movie.

I suddenly had a desire to watch it. Maybe I'd find it when I got home and enjoy a night in with Roscoe?

There was a wedding at the end of that movie too, I thought with a smile. And Hitch becomes friends with the guy...what was his name? I looked up at the ceiling as I tried to recall what it was. The girl's name was Allegra. Who in the hell would name their kid after medication, I wondered with a scowl? That was stupid. Completely unforgettable though. She was pretty and successful, and the guy was her lawyer.

Albert! Albert Brennaman! That was his name.

They had a fun reception after their wedding. It was sort of like what I imagined what mine and Liv's would be like. Lots of dancing with good friends.

Suddenly, I stopped looking up at the ceiling. My eyes went wide, and I sat up ramrod straight in my chair on wheels. Holy shit! Friends! Wedding! I didn't take my best man to get his tux!

I almost broke my neck getting to my phone, but I scrolled through it, found the name I needed in the call log and touched it. The ringing began and so didn't my chanting. "Come on, come on, come on. Pick up the damned phone, idiot!"

"Fitzy! How ya doin' man?"

"Matt. What's up?

"Not a lot. Just at the baby store with Lindsey looking at baby shit."

"That's interesting. Listen, do you have your tux for the wedding?" I asked, getting right to the point.

"Uhhhhh, no. I didn't know it was formal. It's on the beach for god's sake." Matt explained. "Who wears a tux on the beach?"

"Please tell me that you are fucking with me, Matt!" I exclaimed.

"Why would I be doing that? Again, who wears a tux to a beach wedding?"

"The best man does, you asshole! That's who!"

"I'm not your best man."

"Of course you are! I think I know who I asked to be my best man!" I demanded.

"Dude, you asked Paul in front of all of us when you came home from proposing to Liv. Don't you remember that?"

I thought about that for a minute. I didn't remember any of that happening. "No, I don't. I asked Paul to be my best man?"

"You really don't remember? It wasn't that long ago."

I sighed loudly and pretended I remembered. "It's coming back to me now. I guess I've just been so busy that I almost forgot."

"You're not that young anymore either. Your mind is basically a ninety year old man with the things we have done." Matt chuckled.

"You're an asshole. But you're not wrong either." By now I was laughing with him.

"Now who's an asshole? Don't you need to be calling Paul to find out about the tux situation? Or has the dementia kicked in again already?"

"Remind me to get better friends." I muttered.

"Can't remember it yourself because your brain is gone to shit. Bye, Fitz."

"Asshole." I muttered. I looked for Paul's name and touched it when it popped up on my phone. He answered on the third ring.

"Flat ass! Whatcha been up to buddy?"

I shook my head back and forth. He knew how much I hated that nickname. Just like I knew he was never going to let me live it down. It's what I would have done if the situation was reversed. "I'm great. I just have a quick question for ya. Do you have your tux for the wedding?"

"Tux? I didn't know I had to wear one. You're getting married on the beach, yea?" he asked.

"Yes, Liv and I are getting married on the beach. But the groom and best man are both wearing tuxes. I've gotten fitted for mine and couldn't remember if you had already taken care of that or not?" I asked.

"Best man? Since when am I your best man?" Paul asked in a serious tone.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and wondered if the universe was ganging up on me today? I recalled Olivia's words earlier, saying that the wedding stuff was getting a little overwhelming for her today. And I just thought I'd be Superman and jump in to save the day. What a fucking moron! The sad part was, I really couldn't remember who I had asked to be the best man. It was a hard decision to pick just one out of the four of them. But I couldn't tell the guys that.

Matt's story of me asking Paul popped into the forefront of my mind and I ran with it. "What? I asked you to be my best man the day I came home from proposing to Liv. Don't you remember?"

"That's not the way I remember it at all. Probably because that's now how it happened."

"It doesn't matter how it happened. What matters is, you need to have a tux for the wedding. As the best man you are going to be in a shit load of pictures, and you are going to need to look like a less handsome version of me." I was getting impatient with my friends. It was insane that of the two friends I had spoken with, both of them were giving me shit about my memory.

"Well, that right there is your first problem because I am way more handsome than you ever will be."

"Paul" I said in a warning tone. But he kept on talking as if I hadn't said a word.

"Your second, and much bigger problem, is that you didn't come home and ask me to be your best man."

"What are you talking about?" I practically shouted.

"The day you came back from New York you were all jazzed up about getting married. The night all of us guys met up for drinks you kept talking about getting married. You wouldn't shut the hell up about it. I remember that even though I was happy for you, it was annoying as hell because you wouldn't shut up."

"Gee, thanks Paul. You dick."

"Through all that talking, you never asked me about being your best man."

"Are you sure you weren't drunk and just blocked it out?"

"I wish I had gotten drunk, but I had to go to work the next morning and couldn't drink a lot. It was your night to celebrate but I only had one drink and you definitely never mentioned anything to me about being your best man. I would have thought you would have asked Aaron anyways." Paul said.

"Aaron? Why would you assume that?"

"Because he'd be the one to give you the least amount of shit. And right now, he's as much in love with Olivia as you are. The kid could be some serious competition."

I thought that over. Everything he said about Aaron was true. Even the fact that he worshipped Liv. "Fine. I'll call him. Sorry to have bothered you."

"No bother. I was sitting on the bench at an outdoor basketball court. It's my turn to play doubles. Later, Fitz."

Before I called Aaron, I really thought about it. If Aaron gave me some run around story, I would know for sure that my friends were fucking with me. If Aaron went along with it, then everything was fine. Still, for all his loyalty, I couldn't imagine or remember asking Aaron to be my best man. Maybe it was time to ease up on the amount of alcohol I drank when me and the guys went out?

Sighing again, I called Aaron. The chipper bastard answered before the second ring. "Hey Fitz. How are ya doing?"

"Aaron! How's it going man?"

"Stop." Aaron said in a serious voice.

"I just asked you how it's going." I chuckled. "It's not that serious."

"Look, I'm gonna save you some time."

"What are you talking about, man?"

"While you were on the phone with Matt and Paul, they texted me."

"Okayyyyy."

"So, they want me to act like you asked me to be your best man and tell you that no I don't have a tux for the wedding. Something about the joy of friendship is giving each other hell over stupid stuff. As if I'm some fucking idiot and wouldn't have my tux already ordered for the wedding. What am I, some kind of asshole?"

"Absolutely not." I assured him.

"Let's skip the middle man. You asked Matt to be your best man. Call him and find out if he has his tux yet. Knowing him though, he doesn't and he's going to have to do a rush thing because he's an idiot."

"Are you okay, Aaron?" I asked. He just went through a wide range of emotions and I had to check. He might be flighty, but he was my friend.

"I'm great. Still at work though, so I'm trying to cut this short. Are we all still going out this weekend for the big bachelor party?" he asked excitedly.

"Hell yea!" I assured him. My inner worry about drinking too much was long forgotten. Maybe I really did have early signs of dimentia? Wouldn't that be something? "I'll see you this weekend. Thanks for everything, Aaron."

"No problem. Tell Liv I said hi."

I ended the call without further reply. I wasn't telling Liv shit from him.

I didn't call Matt immediately. I knew he'd be expecting that. I took a few minutes to think about how I could screw with him first as payback for the three of them being assholes to me and making me worry. When an evil thought did come to me a little while later, I grinned. I might have to have a little back up on this one. I sent a text to Aaron:  
 _If Matt texts you, just go with it. Thanks man. Liv sends her love & can't wait to dance with you at the wedding_

Aaron was firmly on my side now that he thought Olivia had sent her love to him. He replied immediately with a thumbs up emoji and then I called Matt. "Matty!" I sang into the phone.

"My man, Fitz. Did you forget something?"

"Yea, I need to update you on a change in the wedding." I heard some soft tinkling music and asked, "where are you right now?"

"Crib shopping with Lindsey." His voice was ten times lower when he next spoke. "She is less than three months pregnant and wants to buy a crib already! What the fuck, dude?"

"She's still got like eleven months to go, right?" I asked with a grin.

Matt chuckled. "Yea. Something like that. What's up with you?"

"Nothing much. So, about that small change of plans with the wedding..."

"Oh yea? I love that one, babe. But what if it's a boy? Pink is not really a unisex color. Sorry, man. You were saying?"

"If you end up having a son, he will try to escape his pink crib by any means necessary. Don't let her bully you into buying pink shit until you know what it is. Be firm."

"Hey, Linds. Fitz wants to talk to you for a second."

I began to panic. Lindsey was not to be trifled with. Pregnant Lindsey was probably a whole lot worse. "Don't give her the phone! Mark? I swear to god. I will end this call if she so much as says hello!"

I heard laughter on the other end of the line. "I'm just kidding. I wouldn't do that to you." Again, his voice lowered, and he practically whispered, "Pregnant Lindsey is crazy as hell and we still have to get through the next seven months. Because I'm a bastard, I hope Liv gets pregnant on your honeymoon."

I wasn't worried about Olivia changing. She was perfect the way she was and her getting pregnant wasn't going to change a thing. It was time to get to the point of the conversation. "Look, like I said, there's been a small change in the wedding plans, and I wanted to give you a heads up."

"Sure. What's going on? That one is really cute! Let's get it."

I knew I didn't have his full attention at the moment, but that was about to change. "Aaron is going to be my best man."

There was silence on the line followed by, "hang on a sec, babe. What'd you just say to me?"

"I said Aaron is going to be my best man at the wedding."

"What the fuck are you talking about? I'm your best man not that little shit!"

"Well, you were my best man. But now it's Aaron."

"Why though?" he asked.

"Because Olivia asked for him." Matt would buy that reason because after the scene at the bar, all of my friends knew that Aaron was head over heels for Olivia. It wasn't that much of a stretch for them to think she liked him just as much, right? "I tried to talk her out of it, but it is her day. You know? I just wanted to let you know the news myself before it got around from the other guys."

There was silence on the line again, but I could hear muffled noises. I'd bet my right testicle that he was texting Aaron about it right now. You mess with the bull and you get the horns, my friend I thought with a grin. He must've gotten a confirming reply, because a moment later Matt said in an unpleasant voice, "Well that was considerate of you, you fucking jerk. I already got my tux and everything. I had planned to give you a hard time about not having it. I guess I don't need it now. Thanks for nothing, Fitz. I hope you, Olivia, and Aaron will be very happy together?"

"Thank you, Matt."

"For what?" he grumbled.

"The last forty-five minutes of my life have been super shitty. But the little bit of fun that I've had with you makes up for all of it."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how you and Paul and Aaron decided it would be fun to fuck with my head over this best man thing and pass me off to the next person."

"Did you really think you had asked any of those fools to be your best man instead of me?" he asked.

"I was beginning to wonder. Paul accused me of having dementia. You made me believe I was drinking too much. Aaron didn't give a shit and just told me to call you. When I got the wild idea to screw with you as payback for all three of you, it just felt right. It was perfect timing since you were crib shopping with Lindsey and already side tracked anyways."

"You got me. I'll admit it. The thought of seeing Aaron stand up beside you on your wedding day did not settle well. You're an asshole and I owe you a kick in the ass for that."

"I'm glad to hear that you have your tux already though. It's the only reason I called. One more thing I can check off my list. Go back to crib shopping, dad. I'll see you this weekend for the bachelor's party!"

"Yes! We are going to get so fucked uuuup! I'll need it after looking at tiny prisons for newborns." He was quiet for a second and in a softer voice added, "sorry, sweets. I was just kidding. I love you too."

Fitz chuckled as he listened to his best friend back pedal with his wife over purchasing a crib. He couldn't wait until he was picking out cribs with Olivia too. There was a chance she was pregnant right now! That thought brought a smile to his face. He couldn't wait to marry her, have babies with her, and live happily ever after with her. He knew their life together was going to be well worth the wait. And now he could check everything off his list.


	34. Night Out

**Night Out**

 **Fitz's POV**  
"Don't tell Liv! I'm talking to you, Aaron! I mean it. If this gets back to her I will kick your ass all over the state of California! Keep your fucking mouth shut! Got it?" I shouted. I immediately regretted the shouting and grabbed my head with both hands to keep the world from spinning. I had to lay back down fast.

Aaron groaned, weakly lifted a hand, and flipped me off. "You should have worried about her finding out about all of this before you got the five of us arrested. Dumbass."

I wanted to beat him up right now. I really did. But I was in a sad state and couldn't keep my head from feeling like it wanted to explode. Lying down made the spinning stop, but it did nothing for the terrible ache that was threatening to split my head into a dozen pieces. I'd give just about anything for a couple Tylenol and a sip of water. Maybe a comfortable bed to lay in? With a thick comforter on it. It was so cold in here!

Instead, I was laying on a wooden bench that was narrower than Liv's ass with my head near Matt's. I didn't open my eyes to look where my other friends were sitting, standing, or laying. I couldn't open my eyes even if I wanted to. It was so damned brightly lit in the cell we were in that the light hurt my eyes. The other reason, and maybe the more important one was that I didn't care where they were. I had more than enough to deal with keeping myself on the bench and the world from turning so fast.

"This is not how I imagined the night ending." Paul moaned.

"It was fun while it lasted though." Matt replied.

"It just didn't last longer than five damned minutes!" Mark complained. "Worst bachelor party ever!"

We had gotten arrested fairly early on for drunk and disorderly conduct while celebrating my life as a bachelor being over. I wish I could say I don't remember what happened. That it was something like one of those Hangover movies where everything is blacked out or forgotten, but it wasn't like that. I remember everything in vivid detail.

It all started when the guys showed up at my place in the back of a rented limousine. They looked like a bunch of high school football players headed to prom together. I remember thinking that none of us needed to be hanging out the sunroof. We would surely look like sad aging men with nothing better to do than be seen hanging out of a limo on a Saturday night.

I invited them in for a pre-party drink and they piled out of the car like clowns at the circus. All of us had on dress pants, a button up shirt, and a jacket. We'd be thankful for the jackets when we got inside the freezing jail cell later on.

Five shots were poured and the glasses were excitedly tipped back and then slammed down on the counter.

"One more shot!" Mark demanded.

"We are gonna have the time of our lives tonight, boys!" Paul sang with a big grin.

"It's gonna be a long night. We need to pace ourselves some." Matt advised.

"Who needs to pee before we go?" Aaron asked.

"Is this guy for real, Fitzy?" Mark asked as he jerked his thumb in Aaron's direction.

"THIS is who you wanted to replace me with as best man? Get the fuck outta here with that noise!" Matt warned. "Go pee, Aaron. Make sure you shake it good."

"Leave him alone, guys." I chuckled.

"We don't want to be seen with a guy with piss on his pants." Paul said rolling his eyes.

"Now's our chance to ditch him! Come on!"

"It'd be so fun to slam the front door, knowing he can't do anything until he finishes pissing." Matt said laughing like a hyena.

"You guys are bastards." I said trying not to laugh but losing that battle.

"He would have had more fun at the bachelorette party." Mark pointed out. "That boy is in love with your girl, man. You need to handle that shit."

"He is not in love with Liv." I told them grinning. "Besides, Liv loves me. Not Aaron. There's nothing to handle."

My phone rang and I pulled it out of my pants pocket to see who it was. Still grinning, I held up my phone and showed it to them. "See. It's Liv! Shut the fuck up so I can hear her you guys."

I swiped my finger across the screen and said, "Hi beautiful."

"Hi handsome. What are you up to?"

"The guys just got here to pick me up for our night of fun."

"Oooooh! Put me on speakerphone please so I can say hey to everyone."

I complied, happy knowing that she had called before we left.

"Heyyyyyyy Liiiiiiv!" Paul chirped.

"Is that my crazy Paul?" Olivia asked.

Paul grinned like a kid who just saw boobs for the first time. He pointed at himself, looked at me, and whispered, "I'm her Paul. You ain't shit, son!"

"Shut the hell up or you'll end up missing. Crazy Paul." I warned with an extended middle finger.

"Liv! Fly to California and save this sad gathering of men. At least you'd give us something pretty to look at while we're out." Matt tried.

"Married Matty strikes again. Have you come up with any baby names yet? Olivia really is a beautiful one." she teased.

"My wife would kick my ass if I even suggested naming a daughter after you. Thankfully, it's still too early to know what we're having."

"You can't blame a girl for trying." Liv replied. "Where's Mark the serious one?"

"Present." he chimed in. "Where are you going for your bachelorette party tonight?"

"Uhh, me and my sister in law are going to get a drink at a few bars and call it a night." Olivia explained.

"Liv. That's the saddest damned thing I've ever heard. How would you like for me to ditch these assholes and come hang out with you and your girl? I could show both of you a really good time tonight." Mark winked at the group of us standing nearby and waited for Olivia's answer.

She was silent for so long that I thought she was actually contemplating Mark's offer. I opened my mouth to speak up when Olivia said, "nah. We'll be fine. We're not big into partying. She's got a two year old and a husband. I've got stuff to..."

"Liv, Liv, Liv." Mark said, taking the phone out of my hand and walking away with it. "You are a young woman."

"Mark!" I said loudly. He was trying to convince my fiancé to get wild and crazy tonight and I wasn't loving the idea of it.

"You've got your whole life to do boring shit on the weekends." Mark continued.

"Dude!" I yelled and held my hand out for him to give me my phone back.

"What? You gonna go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to get new soap or something? Come onnnnn, Liv. Live a little! Get out there and fuck up the town. No one will die."

"Mark! Shut the hell up!" I demanded.

Mark looked over his shoulder at me and his eyebrows went up into his hairline as a huge smirk tipped the edges of his mouth. "Ohhhh, I see. The future husband has you on a tight leash. Is that it? Can't go out and have some fun with a woman who is married to your brother. Jesus, that's sad."

Olivia laughed. It sounded like one of those fully belly laughs. She had figured out that Mark was an asshole, not some strong silent serious type. Fucking idiot. "I like this side of you much better than the serious side. We'll see what happens tonight. Things probably won't change much though."

"Give me THAT!" I threatened quietly, as I snatched the phone out of Mark's hand.

"You called too early to talk to Aaron. He's taking a piss." Paul said on a laugh, trying to break the tension.

"I already spoke to Aaron." Olivia informed us.

The four of us looked at each other with confused expressions. "You did?" I asked. "When?"

"He called me when he was on his way to meet the other guys with the limo. He's the reason I'm calling." she explained.

Four heads turned my way and silently made death gestures as they whispered Aaron's name. "What do you mean you're calling because of Aaron?"

"Yea. He told me I should call and remind you to behave yourselves tonight. That he would report any shady behavior back to me." Olivia chuckled.

The death gestures turned much more vicious and other creative hand gestures were added to the mix. "Put her on mute." Paul whispered angrily.

"Hang on a sec please, Liv. I'll be right back." I touched the mute button and four mad as hell voices began shouting inventive ways they were going to kill Aaron.

"That fucking guy has got to GO!" Mark threatened. "I will kick his ass! I mean it, man."

"Who does that, Fitzy? Who calls their best friend's girl and tells on him?" Paul asked.

"That is pretty fucked up." Matt said plainly. "You gotta admit it."

"Guys! Guys! Calm down!" I shouted. "I'm sure Aaron said that to Liv as a joke. There's no way he's going to tell on us like a little bitch. Let me finish this conversation with her and then we'll have a little talk with Aaron and get everything straightened out. Huh?"

"I'll straighten out his spleen." Mark said.

"I'll break his ribs." Paul joined in.

"I'll make him forget Liv's name." Matt added.

"Aww, that's a good one, Matty." Mark said clapping him on the back.

I left the three of them to their inventive empty threats and walked away to talk to Liv. "Hello?"

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing important. The guys are getting riled up is all."

"Be careful. I don't want anything to happen to my fiancé."

My proud smile knew no bounds. She was worried about me. Besides my mother, no woman had ever cared about what happened to me on a daily basis. It was nice. I couldn't wait to get used to the idea of it.

"Besides, I don't want to get a phone call from Aaron about what the five of you are up to."

My proud smile fell off my face and my own inventive thoughts took over. Fucking Aaron! If he survived the night, it would be a miracle. I ended the call with her just as Aaron walked into the living room. "Grab him" I instructed my three friends.

"Happy to." Mark said through gritted teeth.

Aaron looked like he was going to puke.

Paul pulled a chair away from the table and Mark threw Aaron into it. "What the fuck you guys?" Aaron griped.

The four of us gathered around the chair he was sitting in, giving him ugly looks. "What the fuck is right!"

Aaron gave us a confused expression.

"You need to stop calling Liv every five minutes, dude."

"Yea. That's not how friends operate, dipshit."

"I can call Liv whenever I want to." Aaron began.

"Fine. You can, but you shouldn't."

"You were friends with Fitz long before you met Olivia." Mark reminded him.

"So. I can be friends with both of them." Aaron explained.

"When was the last time you called Fitz?" Matt asked.

He glanced over at me and I pulled out my phone to check. I held the screen displaying recent calls up to his face. "Last Tuesday." I informed him.

"Man, that's low. You don't call another guys woman."

"And you definitely don't tell her that you'll keep her posted on what he does at his bachelor party, you asshole!"

"Stop calling Olivia or we are going to be forced to beat the shit out of you. We don't want to, but we will."

"Fine." Aaron pouted.

"Isn't there something you want to tell Fitz?" Matt prodded.

"I'm sorry. She's just so nice, you know."

"Yea. I know." I extended a hand towards him. He took it and I pulled him up.

"We're good, right?" he asked me.

"We're good. But if I see you on your phone tonight, I'm going to yank it out of your hand or demand to know who it is."

"That's fair." he said. "Can we go now? The limo is waiting."

"Let me make a quick phone call first." I muttered still looking at my phone. I heard some grumbling, but then we all piled into the back of the car and were on our way to the first stop. "Let's go!"

Mark poured each of us a drink as soon as the car began to move. He held his drink up and said, "to Fitz! Another one bites the dust of bachelorhood. I hope you and Liv will be happy together for a shit load of years."

The other three guys raised their glass and said, "to Fitz!" before we all emptied our glasses.

We had been pounding shots in the limo and breaking up the monotony of that by stopping at each bar we came to rush inside and get a drink. We had no agenda other than getting hammered. It wasn't a very well planned out bachelor party, but we didn't care because we were having a good time. And that was all that mattered.

Inside the third one, Paul stood up on the bar and began singing "That's What Friends Are For". We started off trying to get him to come down but that quickly turned to us swaying together and climbing up on the bar with him as people protested loudly.

"Get the fuck down guys! I'm eating peanuts and drinking beer here!"

"I'm going to beat all five of your asses if your feet go anywhere near my drink!"

"Fuck your drink. Don't kick my date. You're all too drunk to dance. Just...stop!"

"Keep smilinn. Keep shinin. I'LL BE ON YOUR SIDE EVERMORE! I will, you guys! I'll always be on your side because you guys are like my brothers. Brothers!" Paul said through tears.

"That's what fucking friends are FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR. WHOOOO!" Matt was adding his own words to the song and it was still appropriate somehow.

Aaron was acting like he was singing to a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden. He had grabbed a wine glass from the rack above the bar and was singing into the bottom of it like a nine year old girl singing into her hairbrush. He had his back arched and his face up towards the ceiling. "In good times. And bad ones. I'LL BE ON YOUR SIDE FOREVER MORE!"

"Fuck! We are amazing!" Mark said with a huge grin. "This crowd LOVES us! Look at 'em!"

The five of us looked out at the packed bar. No one was looking at us except a couple of big guys in dark clothes. I chuckled. "They DO fucking love us! They are coming over to get our autograph, you guys! This is the bessss night ever! You guys are my brothers."

The gentlemen who wanted our autograph turned out to be the cops. They wanted to haul our asses off the bar and that's exactly what they did. "Okay guys. Time to get down off the bar now."

"NO MAN! We are putting on a show! Can't you see?!" Paul tried to explain impatiently.

"I see that the five of you are drunk. Get down from the bar on your own and leave the premises or you will be arrested and spend the night in jail. Make a decision. Now!" He warned.

We were staring at them, blinking really slowly and swaying, but not to music. "Who are YOU to tell US what to do?" Matt demanded angrily. "We are the fucking five guys!"

"Never heard of ya. Are you getting down now? Or do I need to get you down?" The officer asked.

"Do you want an autograph?" I asked laughing like a lunatic.

"Are you getting down, Sir?"

I made a face and in a voice that mocked his said, "Do you want an autograph, Sir?"

"Ohmyfuckingawd dude! Do that again!" Aaron said laughing beside me. "You sounded...sounded...sounded..."

Paul smacked Aaron on the back once.

Aaron looked at Paul and hugged him. In a serious tone he said, "thank you, man. Fiz sounded juuuuus like him."

"Jail it is, gentlemen." The officer easily pulled Aaron down to the floor and slapped handcuffs on him.

"This guy's strong. Wait your turn, Matty. It's...wow." Aaron explained with a slur.

Matt jumped to the floor, not wanting to wait for his turn. And then he crumpled all the way to the floor and held onto his ankle. "My ankle disappeared! It's fucking gone! What am I supposed to do now?"

"Sir? Your ankle is right there." The officer pointed out.

"Well shit. There it is. Hi you." Matt said to his ankle.

"Please get to your feet, Sir."

"Sir, YESSIR!" Matt saluted him as he screamed the words. He burst into laughter and said, "he's funny."

"You're next. Let's go."

"I'm getting married next weekend. Issssssssnt that great? Do you guys wanna come to the wedding?" I asked on a burp.

"Ohmygawd dude! That would be so beautiful." Aaron began to cry. "They could put handcuffs on you and Lith after you get to be man an wife."

"Awwww, yea. Less do it! Please say you will. You gotta!" I asked, laying my head on his shoulder. He flicked his shoulder harshly and left me staggering there. "I'm tired. And hungry. Matty! Can we go get some chili cheese fries on thewaybackhome?"

"We ain't goin' home, man. We're goin' ta jail."

"I don wanna go there!" I said loudly. "Do you guys have chili cheese fries at your jail?"

They led the five of us outside and put us inside the back of three cop cars. That meant one of us was riding alone. That was Aaron. It was his payment for the shit he had pulled earlier with Olivia. Now we were even.

The five of us spent the remainder of the long night sobering up inside a freezing cold jail cell with a dozen or so other guys who had been nabbed for stupid things too. The pain of a hangover is bad enough. Dealing with  
it being cold and hungry and exhausted is another matter altogether. Worst bachelor party in the history of the world.

 **Olivia's POV**  
Leesa and I were sitting in a bar having a drink together quietly. We had been here for about an hour, just relaxing and discussing our day. There wasn't a lot of fanfare to be had. We were both grown women who knew that getting married didn't mean the end of life as we knew it. We knew how to act like we had some sense and still enjoy ourselves. I bet Fitz was doing the same thing.

My intelligent sister in law had rented a town car and driver so we could fully enjoy ourselves without having to worry about strange taxi or uber drivers. The plan was to hit up Lucky's on Forty-Second Street and then The Shaved Pig downtown. The Pig had a killer band tonight and the two of us wanted nothing more than to do a little dancing with our drinking. Leesa had insisted on getting a hotel in the city for us to crash in after our "wild night". I had told Fitz about our plans just in case something happened.

A few guys had hit on us as we sat at the bar, minding our own business but we didn't give them the time of day and stayed engaged in our conversation. It was nice to know that I wouldn't have to be living the single life anymore. I would be marrying the man of my dreams one week from today. That was enough to make me smile and twist the ring on my left hand with my thumb.

"What are you grinning so hard about?" Leesa asked.

I shrugged. "Nothing really. I'm just ready to be married to Fitz. With just one week to go my excitement is practically uncontainable."

"Awww, that's great. I'm so glad to know that you have found the one for you. I know you and Fitz are going to be really happy together. I mean, you already are, but somehow it's even better once you're married." she told me.

"And that's how life is twenty-four seven with Harrison?" I asked with a straight face.

"Hell no!" Leesa exclaimed.

I couldn't help it. I giggled louder than I should have instead of sticking up for my brother.

"That man is a mess. He's crazy as hell and loud and opinionated and makes me worry unnecessarily and..." She stared off into space as a strange smile crossed her face. "Well...he's my mess and I love him more than life itself. I'd be lost without his crazy ass." She chuckled at her own words.

I held my glass up towards my sister in law and said, "to the crazy men in our lives that make it so much better."

She grinned and clinked her glass to mine. "I'll drink to that!" We tipped our glasses up and after emptying them, set them back on top of the bar. Leesa threw her hand up in the air in an effort to get the bartender's attention so we could order more drinks. "Hey! Down here!" Leesa shouted above the noisy patrons.

A hand grabbed my sister in law's and jerked it down and a voice said, "Don't do that."

We both angrily whipped our heads around to see who was putting their hand on Leesa and why. Leesa scowled and stood up once she made eye contact. "What the fuck, bitch?"

I was more than ready to kick someone's ass for touching my sister in law without an invitation but was surprised to be met with a pair of familiar green eyes, long red hair, and a smirk I knew all too well. "Abby?"

"You know this person?" Leesa angrily asked as she continued to stare her down.

I put my hand on Leesa's shoulder. "Yes, I do. This is Abby."

"Why in the hell are you putting your hands on me, Abby?" Leesa made the redhead's name sound like a disease.

Abby calmly looked between the two of us with her smirk still in place. She must have decided that Leesa wasn't a real threat because she stuck her right hand out and said, "sorry about that. I couldn't stand by and watch the two of you sit in this boring ass bar for another minute."

Leesa stared at Abby's hand for a minute and then shook it. She wore an aggravated expression as she did so though. "Excuse me. But who died and left you in charge of the bachelorette party you weren't even invited to?"

"How did you know where we were?" I asked.

Abby looked at me and the smirk returned. She simply said, "Fitz told me." Looking over at Leesa she added, "When he told me what your plans were, I invited myself. I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not. This is pathetic and we're leaving."

You got something better in mind, Red?" Leesa asked.

"Than sitting quietly belly up to a bar and drinking..." She picked up my empty glass. "What the hell was in here? Wine?"

I nodded.

"Yea, we're definitely getting out of here."

"What if we don't want to go?" Leesa challenged.

"We'll keep the town car and driver, but the rest of the night is on me. Unless that's overstepping?" Abby asked Leesa.

"That is the kind of overstepping I'm talking about. Lead the way!" Leesa said grinning. She grabbed a nearby waitress, closed out our tab, and the three of us got into the backseat of the town car. "So, where are we going?"

"You'll see." Abby said. "Please tell me that the two of you are halfway decent dancers?"

"Is this woman serious?" Leesa asked me. "Liv and I already had dancing on the agenda for tonight. As a matter of fact, we are great dancers. I was born on a dance floor."

I began laughing. It was probably the wine getting to me by now. "You were not. You went to dance camp just like I did. Are we going dancing?"

Abby abruptly asked the driver to pull over in front of a chain store. She said, "I'll be right back" before she got out of the car and dashed into the store, leaving Leesa and I wondering what the hell was going on? About ten minutes later she came back with something in her hand. She threw it at me and said, "put this on."

"What is it?" I asked and held it up. It was one of those sashes like Miss American wore, but this one said bride to be and was plastic. "I'm not wearing this thing. It's too cheesy."

"Shut up and put it on, Liv. It serves a purpose other than making you look like the winner of a fifth grade spelling bee. You'll see." Abby said.

Leesa shrugged at me so I put the damned thing on. I felt like an idiot. Probably looked like one too. Oh well. This night had been hijacked by a crazy redhead. "How did you get to New York so fast? It hadn't been more than a few hours since I had spoken to Fitz."

"I was at corporate for training on my new position. It worked out kinda perfectly, so I went with it." she explained.

"You were working on a Saturday?" Leesa asked doubtfully.

"Yup, but because I did it today, I'm off on Monday. When Fitz called and told me that the two of you were celebrating Liv's bachelorette, I took it as a sign that I should stay the weekend. I hope you guys aren't mad at me for inserting myself into your night?"

"That's a question better saved for the end of the night. Let's see how it goes and then I'll give you my answer." Leesa said with a grin. "But since you're taking us dancing you can't be all bad?"

"I'll take that compliment." Abby said, returning the grin.

The car pulled up in front of a huge club. There was a line a mile long outside, and now that the sun had finally gone down, the temperature dropped a little lower too. It wasn't cold, but cooler. I looked out the window from the backseat and muttered, "we're never gonna get inside."

"Of course we are. That's what the sash is for." Abby informed me.

"You are a genius, Abby." Leesa said and gave her new best friend a high five.

I still had no idea how the sash was going to get us in, but they did and that was all that mattered. I opened the car door and we all got out. Abby led us towards the front of the line as the people standing in it grumbled or continued with the conversations they were having or eyed what we were wearing. Abby marched up to the door man and said in a flirty voice, "hey. We are out to celebrate this one's bachelorette. When I asked her how she wanted to spend her last unattached Saturday night, do you know what she said to me?"

The door man eyed me closely.

"Tell 'em." Abby giggled.

I pushed my way past Abby and stood toe to toe with him. He was a good five inches taller than me, even with my heels on. I looked up at him and smiled. In my best sultry voice, I said, "I told her that only The Aura would do. She told me that it's impossible to get in here, but I told her that I just knew there'd be a sweet man at the door who would let us in. You are going to let us in, right...?"

The door man eyed the three of us up and down, taking his time doing so. He leaned down to the red velvet rope and opened the gold hook, allowing us to go inside. He nodded to me and said, "Dave" before returning his stoic gaze back to the sea of people waiting to get inside.

"Thank you, Dave." I sang and patted his shoulder before walking by him and into the darkened interior.

"What the hell was that, Liv?" Leesa asked over the loud voices inside. "And how did you know the name of the club?"

"That was me getting us inside. And I saw the name of the club as were coming around the building. Any more questions?" I asked.

"You played that out really well." Abby said praising me. "Now, let's go get a drink."

The three of us had given up all hope of finding a table inside the packed club. Instead, we emptied our glasses on the way to the dance floor. The music was thumping loudly, and dozens of bodies happily moved to the beat near the stage where the DJ was doing his best work. A waitress picked up the glasses and disappeared into the crowd.

In no time at all we were lost in the music. Our happy little trio had our hands up in the air as our hips swiveled in circles or side to side. In our minds, we were the only people on the dance floor and that's exactly how we acted. It was so freeing to just move to the beat and forget about everything for a while. No wedding stuff, no work stuff, nothing. Just dancing. It felt good to let it all go for a little while.

Several songs later, and I was in need of something to drink. Knowing they would never hear my voice over the high decibel noise level, I tapped Abby and Leesa and pointed to the bar. They nodded and followed me. "That DJ is amazing!" I praised.

"He's cute too." Abby replied with a grin. A waitress brought us each another drink and Abby added, "drink up. We're staying here for an hour and then we are leaving."

"Leaving?" Leesa and I said in unison.

"Yup. We've got another stop to make on our evening of fun."

"But we're having fun here." I whined.

"Trust me. The next stop will be more fun." Abby said with a grin. "I need to hit the ladies room before I go back and dance some more."

"Come and find us out there." Leesa told Abby. We threw our heads back, emptying our drinks and quickly made our way back to the dance floor.

The three of us were happily dancing together again when the DJ started talking. Everyone who had been dancing stopped and listened. "We've got a young lady here tonight who is celebrating her last weekend as a free woman."

My eyes widened and flicked over to Abby. "What the hell did you do?"

"Whadda mean?" she asked with an innocent smile.

"Olivia Pope. Where are you?"

Everyone looked around for Olivia Pope. Including myself. I was NOT going to be made a spectacle of by a bunch of strangers. One by one though, people started noticing my sash and they looked up at me.

"Come on, Olivia. Don't be shy." The DJ continued. "We have something for you. You just gotta come claim it."

"Go on, Liv. Stop being such a baby." Abby said.

"You don't know any of these people and chances are you will never see them again. Who cares if they see you going to the DJ to claim a ginormous dildo or whatever it is that they have for you? Just go with it. Besides, it's going to be another week without Fitz. You might just end up needing that." Leesa chuckled.

I was laughing too. Mostly because it made sense. I raised my hand in the air and began walking towards the DJ's space.

"There she is, ladies and gentlemen. Miss Olivia. Melissa is going to bring your free gift out, and from what I've been told, it's a favorite of yours." he explained through the microphone.

I was tapped on the shoulder by a woman I presumed was Melissa. She was a size zero with boobs bigger than my head and perfect white teeth. She was holding a silver tray with one shot glass on it. I smiled at her and when my eyes landed on the drink I began to laugh, almost uncontrollably. It was a penis shaped shot glass filled with a deep red drink.

Melissa grabbed the phallic shaped glass and handed it to me. "Your friend said you liked red wine, so that's what we filled it with." she explained.

My eyes searched for the green ones belonging to Abby. Naturally, she and Leesa were standing at the front of the crowd, and they were both grinning wildly. I winked and held the drink out towards her in salute. Seeing that there was a small hole at the top of the glass, I shook my head back and forth in amazement at what I was about to do. I wrapped my lips around the top of the glass and emptied it. The applause and whistles from everyone inside the club was deafening. Leesa was right. I didn't care what they thought of me and I was having a great time.

"Let's give Miss Olivia one more round of applause everyone." the DJ said. Again, the clapping was loud, and I even stopped and gave a curtsey and a wave to my new fans with my new shot glass in hand.

When I reached the girls all three of us were giggling. I hugged them both. "Thank you, Abs."

"Thank you?" she exclaimed. "I never thought that would be your reaction, but I'm glad for it. You're surprising me tonight."

"Me too. It's nice to see you loosened up." Leesa added.

"Are you ladies ready for the next stop?" Abby asked. The music began to play again at the teeth rattling level it had just been at.

"Nothing could be more embarrassing than this. Lead the way." I said loudly.

The car came to a stop twenty minutes later and I read the name of the establishment we were parked outside of. "No, no, no, no!" I chanted.

"You said lead the way. This is the way."

"Hell yea it is! Let's do this!" Leesa encouraged. "It'll be fun, Liv. Come on! Live a little."

"Don't you 'live a little' me!"

"It's not that big of a deal." Abby said. "Women come here all the time."

I was still nervous. "Before I get out of this car, do you promise that you will not do anything to bring attention to me like you did at the club? No...mentioning that I'm celebrating my bachelorette. Shit! I gotta take this thing off me!" I pulled the sash off and threw it on the seat. "No pointing me out. Nothing like that! I mean it, Abby. Promise me!"

"Jesus. Calm down, Liv. I promise. I won't do anything. Honest." She said it with a straight face, and I believed her. "I'll even buy you another drink to settle your nerves."

"I don't think I can handle another drink." I pointed a finger at her and opened the car door with my other hand. "I cannot believe we are about to do this."

"What's the big deal? We are grown ass women. Let's go." Leesa said.

The three of us walked inside the all-male revue as if we owned the place. No one would ever be able to tell that I had never done anything like this before. We were shown to a table fairly close to the stage. Close enough to make me wonder if Abby had set this up before we got here. I looked over at her with daggers in my eyes, but she held her hands out, palms towards me, and said, "this is not my doing. I swear."

The moment we sat down a waitress appeared and asked what we'd like to drink. We told her and she left us. The three of us found the ladies room and relieved our bladders before the show started. A few minutes after we were back in our seats, the waitress brought our drinks out. I had opted for cranberry juice this time. "This isn't what I thought it would be." I admitted, looking around.

"What did you expect? Naked men hanging from the chandelier?" Abby asked. The question forced all three of us to look up at the ceiling. No naked men were found up there.

"No, I just thought these types of places were...what's the word I'm looking for? Seedier than this? Gross. Like perverts hanging around or something." I was being honest with them, even though I knew it sounded ridiculous as soon as I said it out loud.

"This place is nice. I've been to a strip club once before." Leesa explained. "It wasn't as nice as this one. It was more like what you just described. It made me feel icky. This feels more like a club without the loud music."

Just then the music that had been playing quietly was turned up several notches and a man walked out on stage. He was handsome and tall and had a great smile. He introduced himself and welcomed us to the show. He turned out to be funny too, which was nice. Before he walked off stage, he said, "To start things off, here is Chef Shawn."

Leesa, Abby, and I sipped our drinks as a man in a white chef coat walked on stage. The music got louder, and his hips began to move in a circular motion as he pretended to stir something in a bowl with a spoon. It wasn't long before he dropped the bowl and spoon, and slowly began unbuttoning the chef coat and pulling it off. Shawn had muscles for days! His arms, his chest, his back.

"Holyyyyyy shit!" I heard Leesa mutter.

Shawn was definitely cooking, and he wasn't shy. The pants were the next thing to go, leaving him in a very small black speedo type of deal. He had amazing legs too and as weird as I felt for looking at him, I couldn't stop. He grinded and gyrated on the stage before jumping off of it and wandering through the crowd with a big grin on his face. That was the moment I became overly interested in my drink. I didn't want to look at him anymore. I didn't want him to see me or come anywhere near me.

That was also the moment I felt something come over my head. I looked up to see Leesa grinning mischievously at me as she slid the bride to be sash back over my head. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I hissed at her.

"Just keep in mind, Abby had nothing to do with this. This one was all me, girl!" Leesa replied with a wink.

An extended hand was suddenly in my face. I knew who it was without even having to look up and refused to. This could not be happening to me! I closed my eyes and silently willed Shawn to go away.

"Come on, Olivia." his deep voice demanded. "What's a bride to be if she hasn't been wooed by Shawn the Chef?"

I finally was brave enough to meet his gaze. His eyebrows were wiggling at me and he was grinning like a little kid. It was then that I noticed that the sea of women in the audience were chanting my name. I looked around at them clapping in time with the music as they said it. Was I really about to do this? I downed my drink, making the women go wilder. Apparently, I was doing this.

I slid my hand into Shawn's, and he led me to the stage. I was grinning like an idiot and almost tripped over my feet more than once, causing me to giggle. My head was swimming with the effects of the alcohol I had consumed up to this point in the evening. But it was a happy feeling.

A chair was already set up on the stage and Shawn escorted me to it. I sat down, grateful to be off my feet again. He spoke to the crowd, hyping them up for what he was about to do to me. I thought I was ready, but now I wasn't sure.

Suddenly, there were about ten guys on stage, and they were all facing me with perfect smiles. I took a moment to appreciate each one of their handsome faces and muscular chests before the music was turned up again and all ten men began to move in a synchronized dance especially for me. I wanted to be mortified, but surprisingly, I wasn't.

When their little show was over, they all stood behind me posing while Leesa and Abby, as well as half the crowd took pictures. Each one of them kissed my hand before exiting the stage. I was left with Shawn once again and he walked me back to my seat in the audience.

"I thought you'd be embarrassed beyond words! But that...that was...you were all into it!" Abby accused with a laugh.

"Shameless hussy." Leesa added, laughing too.

"You two are just jealous it wasn't you." I said with a grin. "Can we please leave now? I can't drink another thing and I desperately want to lay down somewhere."

We each gathered our purses and made our way to the door. "Are we going to your place to sleep this off, Liv?" Abby asked.

"Uh uh! We have a hotel room waiting for us. Two queen beds. Plenty of room for your skinny ass, Red."

Abby smiled at Leesa. "You're a fun girl. Now that it's the end of the night, tell me something Leesa. Are you mad at me for inserting myself into your bachelorette party?"

"That's a huge NO! Liv should have invited you from the beginning. This was the best bachelorette party ever! I can't wait for Liv to show Fitz that penis cup." Leesa burst into uncontrollable laughter, followed by Abby.

I didn't care about the cup right now. I had other pressing things on my mind. "I don't know why, but I could really go for some chili cheese fries right about now?"


	35. Wedding Day

**Wedding Day**

 **Olivia's POV**  
Everyone always says butterflies in your stomach are just a sign of nerves. Well, what the hell does it mean when the butterflies feel more like wild turkeys on crack wildly flapping around? My hand had been resting on my stomach for the better part of the past hour, hoping to calm the madness happening inside. It was no use though.

It was go time. Time to walk down the aisle and marry Fitz. I was dressed in my white gown. My hair was up. My make-up was perfect. I had my arm looped through Harrison's and he was waiting patiently for me to let him know that I was ready to leave the room I had spent the afternoon getting ready in. Harrison was good at being quiet when it was necessary, and right now it was damned near critical. I wasn't having second thoughts at all. I just needed a minute.

Leesa and I had spent the previous night at Fitz's beach house. He had stayed with Matt while Lindsey stayed with her parents so we could have the whole house to get ready for the wedding. I still hadn't seen him since we arrived yesterday, and I was missing my soon to be husband an awful lot! We had been keeping in touch through texting and phone calls, but no face to face. It was killing me not to see him. That would all be over by the end of the day when I officially became Mrs. Fitzgerald Grant.

The two of us woke up to the sound of the crashing waves and Leesa went to the glass sliding door and looked outside. "Now I understand why you sold your apartment. If I could wake up to this beautiful view every day, I'd sell my place too."

I smiled and joined her at the glass doors. "It was a no brainer. My brothers, you, and Sophie are the only family I have left. And I've only ever known living in the city. But Fitz still has his parents, and I know the importance of spending as much time with them as possible. You never know when you won't be able to do that anymore."

"Hey." Leesa put a hand on my shoulder and gently added, "you don't have to explain yourself to me. And I know it's going to be difficult to get through this day without your parents here. You don't have to talk about them."

I smiled at her. "I love to talk about them. They were great people. I wish they were here today to see me marry Fitz. To see that I grew up to be happy and get my happily ever after, just like they did with each other. My dad would have cried as he walked me down the aisle. My mom would have helped me get ready and into my dress. She was always so supportive."

"I wish I could have met them." Leesa said wistfully. She turned to look at me. "They might not be here in person, but they are here in spirit. And I know that the two of them are smiling down full of pride. They raised four amazing kids who grew up and became amazing adults."

I laid my head on her shoulder as a tear slid down my cheek. "Thanks, Lees."

"You're welcome. Besides, I think Sophie has a little of your mom in her. You know that girl is gonna be demanding to help aunt Wib into her princess dress." Leesa chuckled and I joined in at the thought of it.

"She definitely has some of momma's character traits in her. Let's go down by the water for a little while. It'll be our calm before the craziness starts later on." We grabbed our coffee cups and stepped outside. It was unbelievably warm outside already and rain was thankfully not in the forecast. As I sat on the golden sand, I wondered what Fitz was doing right now.

 **Fitz's POV**  
I excitedly ran into the master bedroom, knowing Lindsey wasn't here. Matt was still sleeping but I didn't care. I was too excited to sleep. "I'm getting married today!" I shouted. "Can you believe it?"

"Fuck off!" Matt whined. He was sprawled out on his stomach in his bed and still had his eyes closed.

"I'm getting married todaaaaaay!" I sang in a much louder voice right in his face.

"GO. AWAY!" he grumbled just as loudly and pulled a pillow over his head.

"Will you tell me about the birds and the bees now, dad?" I asked. "I need to know what is expected of me later tonight." I waited for it and didn't have to wait long. Matt was laughing underneath the pillow.

"You're a fucking asshole, Fitz." he said still laughing. "You know you don't deserve her, right?"

"I absolutely know that. But she fell under the powers of allll this!" I made a grand gesture in front of my body with my hands that had Matt laughing even more.

"Does she know about how your bachelor party ended up though?" Matt asked grinning.

"Noooo. It's my personal goal in life that she never finds out about that." I plainly said.

"I guess you're not quite as much alllll that as you claim, huh?" Matt said.

"Shut up."

"Now that I'm awake, I might as well get some coffee." he said and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "You comin'?"

"In a minute." I muttered.

I thought back to the night of my bachelor party. The five of us sitting in jail was not my best moment. Of course, it wasn't my worst moment either. Still, the thought of Olivia finding out about it was definitely not in the plans. I recalled the moment sobriety hit me like a ton of bricks and the officer finally came to the freezing cold holding cell to talk to us.

"You guys are free to go. I spoke with the limo driver who told me that you guys were just out celebrating a bachelor party. We brought you in because you were being obnoxious and creating a public disturbance when you started dancing on the bar. You're not going to be fined. Nothing will show up on your record. There won't be a court date. We just needed the five of you to sober up and go home." he explained.

"Can you please not talk so loud?" Mark asked holding his head.

"Weren't you the one looking for your ankle a few hours ago?" the officer asked him.

That was enough to shut Mark up while bringing chuckles from the rest of us. "So, we are free to go?" I asked. When he nodded and opened the door I added, "We had a lot to drink in a short amount of time, and I'm sure we all said stupid stuff. Dancing on the bar was probably not a great idea either, but we had a great time. Well...until we ended up in here."

"It looked like the five of you were having a great time. Dancing on bars, especially to that song, was not your best next move. But nobody got hurt and you're all sober. It's a win win for everyone. Go home and get some sleep gentlemen." he advised us.

After we were safely out of the holding cell, Paul said, "you guys should really think about turning the air conditioning off. It's colder than a meat locker in there."

"No kiddin' genius. We do that on purpose. It tends to help clear clouded minds a lot faster. We don't want to see you guys in here again, okay?"

"The holding tank over in the next county is a lot nicer." Mark stated. "I'm just sayin'."

"Man, shut the hell up."

I cuffed the back of his head. "You don't say that to a cop. Idiot!"

"Why can't I?" Mark asked.

"You can. You just shouldn't." Aaron replied with a smirk. "It shows that you've been in jail before and probably have a rap sheet. It's also just tacky to make a comparison like that between the two establishments."

"Who are you, our lawyer? Establishment." Matt muttered.

Mark stopped walking and looked at Aaron holding a hand up in his face. He tapped on a different finger every time he made a point. "A, they are the cops. They know if I have a rap sheet, MacGyver. All they have to do is type my name into their computer and everything I've ever done from birth to now pops up. Two, unless they are reading the Yelp reviews for their jail; and I have left some about the different jails I have been to, then who gives a shit if I compare their holding cell to the Taj Mahal? And D, if you EVER throw my words back at me again, I will kick your ass so hard you..."

"Gentlemen!" The officer said in a loud voice, breaking up the threat. "Starting a fight inside the jail that you've just been released from is not a good idea. Go home!"

"SIRYES..." Matt began. He never finished his comical reply because the officer tilted his head to the side and raised his eyebrows at him. "Sorry."

The five of us had quickly exited the jail and was surprised to see the limo sitting in the parking lot. The driver smiled when he saw us and scrambled out of the car to open the back door for us. "It's good to have you back gentlemen."

"Not so loud, Frank." Paul said, holding his head.

"My name is Lee." the driver informed him.

"Huh. Lee?" Paul looked him in the eye for a moment and said, "Nah, you look more like a Frank to me" before crawling into the car.

"Where to, Mr. Grant?"

"Home please."

"Awww, come on. We can't go home now like little old ladies! The night is young!"

"Paul, it's four a.m. The night is over. If you want to go back out and tear up the town, drop me off at home first." I told him. "I'm cold and tired. I need a hot shower and some sleep in my huge bed."

"I'm cold and tired." Paul said mimicking me. "You are such a pansy. I bet you'll be the one suggesting to Liv that the two of you go to Bed Bath and Beyond on the weekends after you're married? God, that's sad brother."

The other three guys chuckled at his comment. I closed my eyes, leaned back against the head rest, and threw my middle finger up at him. I wasn't going to be baited into repeating the insanity of the night we'd just experienced.

The car was quiet for a few minutes before Aaron's voice broke through the silence. "We should end the night with a shot. I mean, it's the respectful thing to do, right?"

I lifted my head and opened one eye.

"That's my boy!" Paul said, happily pointing a finger at him.

"He does have a point, Fitzy." Matt said with a grin. "It's respectful."

"Where the hell has this personality been lately?" Mark asked as he shook Aaron's hand on a chuckle.

"I hate all of you." I told them as I sat upright and shook my head grinning.

"YEAAAAAA!" Loud male voices cheered. "Frank needs a drink too! He's been a fucking hero waiting for us to get sprung from the joint all night."

"His name is Lee, you dumbass and he's currently driving and can't exactly drink. And we were in a holding tank, not an actual jail cell."

"Shut the fuck up and pour us a drink before Fitz changes his mind like a woman."

Matt held up his tiny shot glass. "We might have gotten thrown into jail early, but we had a hell of a good time until that happened."

"How many men would proudly claim to have sang That's What Friends Are For on a bar? AmIright?" Paul asked.

The five of us laughed loudly at the recent memory. "Still wasn't our worst Saturday night." I insisted.

"To Fitz and Liv!" Matt loudly exclaimed.

"To Fitz and Liv!" We all repeated and emptied our glasses.

I smiled from my spot on Matt's bed. I could already smell coffee starting to brew and my mouth began to salivate for a mug full of the wake up drink. The limo driver had taken us to get some breakfast and then back to my place, but we hadn't crashed as planned. We invited Lee inside and spent the next four hours downing drinks and laughing like lunatics. We all passed out in various rooms thoroughly drunk. It had been a fantastic bachelor party, filled with funny memories I wouldn't soon forget.

"Fitz? You coming to get some coffee or what?" Matt called from the kitchen, snapping me out of my trance.

"Be right there." I yelled back. I was getting married today and I couldn't wait to finally see Olivia! It had been two weeks since I had laid eyes on her, but it felt like it had been much longer than that. I couldn't wait to see her walking towards me on the beach in her white dress. This day was going to be perfect. Before I got up to join Matt in the kitchen, I wondered what she was doing right now?

 **Olivia's POV**  
"You know that old rhyme associated with weddings? Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?"

I nodded at my youngest brother, not understanding where he was going with this. All three of my brothers and Leesa were in the master bedroom. Sophie was napping. It's what we were affectionately calling the bridal room for today. I was completely ready to walk down the aisle in an hour with the exception of one thing. All I had left to do was put my dress on. I was waiting for the last minute to do that.

"Okay. So, your three amazingly smart, handsome, and charming brothers wanted to do something to make your day even more fantastic."

Harrison and Eric gave each other a high five and then each proceeded to give one to Marcus. I looked to Leesa for support, but she was grinning at the three of them and ignoring me. I turned my attention back to my brothers. "What'd you do now? Set my veil on fire?"

"We could have done that?" Eric asked in disbelief. "Dammit!"

I shook my head back and forth at him. "Putting a little space between us might not have been as bad an idea as I thought."

"You'll miss me the most, Dorothy." he replied with a grin. He knew I'd get his Wizard of Oz reference. He and I had watched that movie dozens of times together as kids and adults. It was one of the things we did without the others.

"Get to the point, dumbass." Harrison chided and made a circular motion with his hand.

"Each one of us got you something." he explained. He held out his hand and passed me a small box. "This...is your something old."

Marcus had caught me by surprise and seemed happy when he realized it. "What is this?" I asked.

"Open it and find out." he said.

I pulled the small cardboard lid off the box and squinted at what was inside. "What is this?" I repeated as my confused eyes went up to his.

"It's a lace handkerchief."

"And it belonged to Ghandi?" I joked as I looked down at it sitting perfectly in the box.

"No, it belonged to mom."

My head snapped up to his so fast I could have sworn I had given myself whiplash. "What?!"

He smiled at me. "Yea. It was one of the things that belonged to her that I held onto. It seemed stupid at the time. Who wants a piece of material that mom carried around in her purse and constantly wiped our noses with when we were sick or cleaned up our blood with when we'd done something stupid?"

The silence in the room was deafening.

"I wanted it." he said quietly. "I don't know why, but I wanted it."

I thrust the box back towards him. "Then keep it, Marcus. I can use it in the wedding and give it back to you after wards. I can tell that it's precious to you. You should keep it."

He kissed me on my cheek. "I was put in charge of something old, not something borrowed. I want you to have it, Liv. Mom would want you to have it too so that when you have a little boy with a cute mischievous face, whom you've named Marcus, you can wipe the blood off his knee when he falls off his bike. Or dry his tears when a girl breaks his heart when he's in elementary school. You're going to be an awesome mom one day, Liv because you had the best example to follow."

I held the narrow box in a death grip and lunged into my brother's arms, hugging him tightly. He held onto me just as tight and we clung to each other for a long moment. "Thank you. I promise to take care of it." He pulled away from me and I added, "but I'm not naming my son after you."

"You'll change your mind once you see the mischief in his eyes." Marcus said grinning down at me.

"My turn."

I glanced to my left and saw Eric standing there all handsome in his tux and smiling at me. "What did they put you in charge of?" I asked.

"I chose the something new." he explained. "You're welcome, in advance by the way."

"Oh my god. Should I be scared?"

"Of how fabulous it is? Probably." he replied cockily.

I went to stand in front of him. "Whatcha got?"

"You are starting a new life in a new place. I thought this would help you adjust." He handed me a bottle of wine.

I took it out of his hand and said, "I don't think you understood your assignment. Wine isn't new. In fact, it's usually very old. At least the best ones are old." I pushed the bottle back towards him.

"You're such a smartass. I think you moving a few thousand miles away will make my life a whole hell of a lot less naggy and informative." he chuckled. "The wine is old. I'll give you that, since you want to get technical. It's that expensive shit you like so much. The label is what I was hoping you'd pick up on. Apparently, that was too much to hope for?"

I turned my scowl from his face down to the label on the bottle I was holding. I gasped as I read it. The label said:  
Fitzgerald and Olivia Grant  
New life together. New adventure. New memories.  
Today's date was printed underneath in smaller font with wedding bells on either side of it.

"Oh, Eric. It's perfect. I love it!" I hugged him as I had Marcus, feeling more excitement than sentimental at his gift.

"I knew you'd love it. You're a woman who loves the details." he said in my ear. "You're going to have a great life here with Fitz, and I'm really happy for you. But don't you forget about us."

"Never." I replied and held him even tighter. I pulled away from him saying, "California is a great place to go on vacation."

"Are you amateurs done screwing around yet?" Harrison asked after clearing his throat loudly.

"Let me guess? You chose something borrowed?" I asked smugly.

"Actually, I wanted something blue just so I could put a fake set of balls into a box. Poor Fitz has to be dying with this two week hiatus you decided on at the last minute."

"Shut up, Harrison." I demanded.

"Right. Something borrowed. This is the lamest one. So naturally, I had to make it awesome somehow." he explained.

"By the tone of your voice, I'm so excited." I said in a bored tone.

"Shut up, Liv." He handed her a small box, similar to the one Marcus had given her. "Open it up and be amazed. And you two..." he said looking at his brothers. "Be prepared to be the least favorites again. At least until you have kids."

I pulled back the lid on the box and peered inside. I knew exactly what it was the second I saw it, but had no idea how Harrison expected me to borrow it? I pulled out the beautiful white and gray headband that Sophia had worn home from the hospital the day after she was born. It was so tiny. Had she really been this little once upon a time? The thought fascinated me as I turned the delicate circle around in my hand.

It wasn't anything super fancy. Gray material with a bow, a cute little knot, and a pearl thrown in to make it a little more feminine. I had bought it for Sophia and given it to Leesa at her baby shower, along with a pretty gray and white dress. Leesa liked it so much, it was the outfit Sophia had worn home from the hospital. Headband and all. She looked like a little doll. It was a great memory from another great day in my life. Still, I didn't understand. "I think my head is a little bit bigger than a newborn's, Harrison."

"I know that." He said. "It's not for you to wear on your head. You'd look like an idiot if you wore this on your wedding day, Liv."

"So, what do you want me to do with it?"

"I thought it would be nice to put it around your boquet? It will look pretty with the colors of your flowers. But you can't keep it." he said.

"Right. Because it's something borrowed." I answered.

"No, because we are having another baby and if it's a girl, she's gonna wear this home from the hospital too." he said grinning. "It's going to be a tradition for all of the girls we have."

"What?" Eric exclaimed.

"Really?" Marcus said with a huge grin.

"Oh my god!" I shrieked. I giddily hugged Harrison and thanked him for the small borrowed gift. I released him quickly and looked over at Leesa. "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked as I pulled her in for a hug.

"I didn't want to say anything until after the wedding. It's your day and you should shine the brightest today." she said. "But Harrison really wanted you to use the headband in your flower arrangement, and said he wanted to tell you why we wanted it back."

"I'm so happy for you guys. This is amazing news. Another little Pope.

"Our little Soph is gonna be a big sister." Marcus chimed in.

"Does she know yet?" Eric asked.

Harrison put his arm around his wife. "Not yet. We want to wait until Leesa is at least three months along before we tell her."

"She is gonna freak out. Oh my god!"

I pointed a finger at him and said in a determined voice, "no tears!"

"But..." he sniffed.

"NO! I mean it, Marcus. If you start crying, then I'm going to start crying. And my make-up has been done for over an hour. It's not getting messed up now! We'll cry about it later." I dragged a finger underneath my right eye just to make sure there wasn't any wetness there from accidental spillage. There wasn't. "Thank you for the gifts. I love them all and appreciate you taking the..."

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaait a minute." Harrison interrupted her.

"What?" Olivia asked innocently.

"There's still the matter of something blue." Eric reminded her.

"Yea. And Leesa was in charge of that one. Where is it?" Marcus demanded.

"If you wake up my daughter before she has to go out there and be a flower girl in the wedding, I will kick your ass. I already gave Liv her something blue." Leesa informed the three brothers.

"Well where is it?" Eric asked.

"We wanna see it too." Marcus added.

"What was it, babe?" Harrison asked.

"It was a girl thing. You guys don't need to know every damned thing." Leesa said.

"Uh uh. See, that doesn't work for me. I want to know what it was."

"The three of you are a pain in my ass." I told them on an eye roll. There was no way I could tell them what the something blue was that Leesa and I had shared together earlier in the week.

"I was just kidding anyways. We said all of that just to rile you three up. Here you go, Liv. Your something blue." Leesa said, handing her a small box.

My eyebrows dropped, but I said nothing. I opened the box and my eyes were immediately drawn to the color blue before they took in the entire gift. I turned the box over and watched the bracelet fall into my hand. It was silver and had an ocean blue heart charm on it. "This is beautiful. I love it, Leesa. Thank you so much."

We hugged each other and Leesa whispered, "read the back of it."

When I flipped it over and saw the one word engraved on it, the damn of tears almost burst through. I kept it all together. Barely. I took a deep breath and spoke in a determined voice. "Okay! The three of you have to go. It's about time for me to get into my dress. I want a ton of pictures of the four of us all dressed up after the ceremony please. No arguments!"

A knock on the door had the five of us stopping all conversation to hear who it was. "Liv?"

It was Fitz.

 **Fitz's POV**  
There was less than an hour to go before the ceremony started, but I couldn't wait another minute. I needed to talk to her. I really wanted to see her but knew that was out of the question at this point. Hearing her voice would have to do. I went into the house and made my way towards my bedroom. "Liv?" I called out from the other side of the door.

I heard rustling from the other side of the door and then she spoke to me.

"Fitz?"

An inch of wood was the only thing that stood between us. I rested my forehead on the door with my eyes closed and suppressed the thought of breaking it down with my bare hands.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

Her voice sounded so close. Like she was leaning up against the door too. I smiled at the thought of that. "Everything is fine."

"Are you here to tell me you're backing out of the wedding?" she asked.

The door opened and I almost fell into the room before I caught myself. Out stepped Marcus, Eric, and Harrison and none of them were smiling. "You aren't, are you?" Harrison asked. "Backing out of the wedding, I mean?"

I smiled at him. "No chance in hell."

He clapped me on the back and said, "good. I didn't want me and my brothers to have to beat the shit out of you. I guess since you're basically family now you should know that Leesa and I are going to have another baby by the end of winter."

"That's great, Harrison. Congratulations, man." I pulled him in for a quick hug.

"Thanks. I'll be back to get Liv and walk her down the aisle as soon as I go get my daughter. I'll see you out there."

"Don't even think about going into that room, Fitz." Eric advised me.

"Leesa would kick your ass." Marcus agreed with a grin.

Once they were gone and the door closed again, I resumed my conversation with my fiancé. "Liv. I just wanted to talk to you before the ceremony starts. I know I'm going to get caught up in everything. The vows, the pictures, the food, the people. Everything. I just want you to know that I love you and I'm so happy to be making you my wife today."

The door opened again and was then firmly slammed shut. I listened and grinned as I heard Leesa issuing a warning to Olivia. "If you think you are going out there to see him after waiting for two whole weeks then you are crazier than all three of your brothers put together! It ain't happening! Not on my watch! Tell him that you love him and then tell him bye. That you'll see him out there."

"Hey Leesa." I sang from my side of the door.

"Why in the hell are you coming here making Liv want to break her two week self imposed hiatus from you?" Leesa demanded.

"Congratulations on your baby." I said changing the subject. "I can't wait to be an uncle."

"Fitz?" Leesa said.

"Yea?"

"Get the hell out of here. Now!" she demanded.

"I love you too, Leesa. See you out there Liv. I can't wait to kiss you." I started to walk away and then came back to the door. "Don't let me forget to give you your gift."

"Trust me, I won't let you forget. I have yours too. I love you, Fitz." Olivia said. The annoyance in her voice made me smile. I felt so much better knowing she was missing me as much as I was missing her.

I found Matt talking to the rest of the guys in the living room. Every last one of them had on a tux. I grinned proudly as I approached them. "You guys clean up nicely."

"Talk about looking good. You could grace the cover of GQ or some shit." Mark said.

"Liv is going to run down the aisle to get to you." Paul suggested.

"Not a hair out of place. Teach me your ways, oh wise one." Aaron chimed in grinning.

"We need to grab the photographer and capture the only moment in history that the five of us were all in tuxedos." I said, looking around.

"We do look damned good." Aaron agreed.

"We are the sexiest studs on planet Earth."

"Do you know how much fun it would be if we all could go out tonight?" Paul asked chuckling.

"NO!" The rest of us shouted, and then began laughing too.

"Frank is here. Apparently, he's related to one of the guys in the band and was asked to help them set up and break down. How fucking wild is that?"

"Keep him away from Liv." I warned the four of them.

"You still haven't told her about the bachelor party?" Mark asked in astonishment.

"He thinks she'll never find out." Matt said with an eye roll.

"Dude, she already knows." Paul said laughing. "They always do somehow."

"Don't worry. We've got your back." Aaron said.

"Know why?"

"That's what friends are for!" the four of them sang loudly.

"You guys are crazy as hell." I told them. "But having the four of you show up and wearing tuxes really means a lot to me. I love you guys."

Paul gestured to a nearby table that just happened to have five shots on it. He passed them out even though I tried to get him to stop, telling him this was a bad idea. But they assured me that they wouldn't let me drink more than that one. That it would loosen me up. He lifted his shot glass and said, "To my brothers!"

We all repeated the sentiment and slugged down the alcohol. "Me and Fitz need to get outside now. We are VIP's today and you assholes are all peasants."

"We were just your brothers." Mark reminded him sarcastically.

"Peasant brothers." Matt said grinning. "See you guys afterwards."

We took our places in front of the decent sized gathering on the beach. I saw people from work, my parents, people from New York, and Liv's family. There were some faces here that I didn't recognize too. People walking by on the beach would stop and take a photo or just stood there watching and waiting for the bride to arrive. I could respect that.

Music started to play and a minute later I finally saw Olivia for the first time in two weeks. She looked absolutely stunning. Perfect in every way imaginable. Her white gown was beautiful. The flowers were pretty in her little hand. The one I would slide another ring onto very soon. Her hair was pinned back and had little white jewel looking things scattered through it. She was a flawless vision. And she was about to become my wife. I grinned proudly. The only complaint I had was that she was walking too damn slow for my liking.

 **Olivia's POV**  
Fitz looked better than I remembered. He was so handsome I could hardly contain myself. It was sheer torture to walk so slowly towards him. His curls were styled to perfection. It was almost as if they were begging for me to reach out and mess them up a little. His black bowtie was perfectly straight, and it made me wonder if one of the guys helped him with it or if he knew how to perfectly do it himself? The flower at his lapel was in contrast with the black tux material.

He was smiling at me. The smile that I knew he reserved just for me. My heart beat a little faster at the sight of him. He was going to be my husband in just a few minutes. He already had his hands extended towards me before I even reached him. I was trying to pull my hand free of Harrison's arm when he tightened his arm at the elbow so I couldn't. He tilted his head slightly towards the man who stood slightly beyond Fitz.

I had forgotten that I had to wait for a cue to take Fitz's hands. He didn't look very pleased about having to wait anymore either, but when the moment came, the ordained minister asked who is presenting this woman to be joined in matrimony, Harrison said, "her brothers and I do". I immediately pulled my arm free from his and heard him chuckle as I anxiously held onto Fitz's hands.

He rubbed little circles on my knuckles with his thumbs as he looked into my eyes. He kept randomly mouthing the words 'I love you' throughout the ceremony and giving me such tender looks. I never felt more loved in my entire life. I wanted to kiss him more than anything in the world.

The wedding itself was such a blur. I was completely content to just get lost in my favorite blue eyes. We said our vows to each other, and rings were exchanged. We continued to hold hands right up to the end of the ceremony. When the minister asked if anyone had any objections, both Fitz and I looked to our guests. Mark and Paul were on either side of Aaron and jokingly held his arms down.

When Fitz was told, "You may now kiss your bride" he didn't waste a second and smiled giddily at me before dropping my hands as if they were on fire and gently pulling me into his arms. My arms wound around his neck as our mouths connected in a sweet kiss. Everyone in attendance as well as the passersby on the beach clapped loudly as we did so.

The kiss was broken and both of us were grinning like little kids let outside for recess. We walked down the sandy narrow path back towards the house. We hugged his parents and my family as well as the guys before Fitz led the way back to his house.

Once we were inside and all alone we spent a few minutes enjoying more kisses as man and wife. "You wanted me to remind you to give me my wedding gift. But I have one for you and it can't wait another minute. If that's okay with my husband?" I got up on my tiptoes and kissed his smiling face. "I love calling you my husband. Please don't plan on hearing your name from me anytime soon."

Fitz bent to my ear and whispered, "I bet I have you moaning my name all night long" before pressing his lips to my temple and moving his head back to look me in the eye.

He had me there and we both knew it. The thought of that would be on my mind until we left to go on our honeymoon in Paris. I stacked both mine and Fitz's free weeks stay from the hotel for us to enjoy two weeks together in the city of love. The hotel played a huge part in us ending up together in the first place by screwing up our reservations and forcing us to share a room. It was only right that they be who we stayed with on our honeymoon.

After I contacted the sweet man who gave us the vouchers in the first place, he must have contacted his corporate office about the entire matter because I received an email from them giving a confirmation date and time for us to enjoy a complementary dinner at the Jules Verne, a Michelin starred restaurant on the second platform of the Eiffel Tower. I looked forward to screaming his name in France. But us going to Paris or visiting the restaurant weren't his gift.

"You can give me your gift first if you want to."

I confidently handed him a small, square, thin box. It wasn't wrapped, but had a bow placed on the top of it. He smiled at me and then gave the box all of his attention. He carefully and slowly pulled the top of the box off, making me wonder if Christmas Day with Fitz was going to be torturously slow too as he opened his gifts?

His face crinkled up, and he turned the box once. Then twice before grasping the piece of paper inside and pulling it out for closer inspection. He clearly had no idea what it was. Somehow that was even more adorable. I watched as his eyes scanned the information on the sides before he realized exactly what he was holding.

His head snapped up to mine. His eyes were huge circles. His mouth was open, and it was obvious that he was trying to form words, but none were coming out. It was the cutest thing in the world to me. I watched him silently for a few minutes, enjoying the struggle he was going through. "Is this...?"

"What?" I asked patiently. "What do you think that is?"

His eyes dropped to my stomach. "Are you pregnant? Are you having a baby?"

He was already the cutest dad ever. I grabbed his hand and brought it to my stomach. "WE are having a baby. I hope that's okay?"

"Holy shit! Of course it's okay! It's the best news in the world." He kissed me again. "Are you okay with that? Wait! What about last weekend? You were drinking. Isn't that bad for the baby? What do we do?"

I chuckled at him. "That's a lot of questions. First of all, I am very happy about this. I suspected earlier this week, so I made Leesa go with me to buy a pregnancy test. I got a blue line so I went to a doctor to make sure. When she confirmed it, I asked about the drinking. She told me not to drink any more during my pregnancy, but that everything should be fine with the baby. She's going to keep an eye on him or her to make sure though. You're going to be a daddy."

He smiled at me before resting his forehead on mine. "You're going to be a mommy."

My mind went to the blue charm Leesa had given me. The one word engraved on the back was mom.

"The most beautiful and successful mommy ever." He kissed me again. "I didn't think there was any way this perfect day could get any better, but here you are making it happen. We're having a baby! I'm so glad it's not food poisoning this time. It's scary how much I love you, Liv. And this little one now too." He dropped to his knees, kissed my stomach, and then rubbed circles on it..

"You say the sweetest things to me. I'm so glad you realized that I'm the best thing that ever happened to you and made me your wife. You make me so happy, husband. I love you." I realized that I hadn't gotten my gift from him. "Where is my gift by the way?"

He never moved. In a bored tone he said, "it's parked in the driveway. It's a new car, but who cares about that now? We have everything we need right here."

 **If you read, reviewed, suggested, or tweeted about this story I want you to know that I appreciate it so very much. Feedback is everything to a writer. I know the middle got kinda weird, and I apologize for that, but this was a different story to write. I learned a lot from writing this story & it's good to grow as a writer. To try something different - even if everyone isn't a fan. At least I tried something new. Half of the fear is thinking we will fail. The other half is thinking everyone will hate what we've written. That's why, I believe, there aren't many more ff writers out there. Fear. If you've been wanting to write a story but fear has kept you from it, let go of it & just write something. Anything. You might find out that your particular talent for story telling is what a whole huge group of people have been looking for. An additional bonus is that it's so freeing & rewarding. And if you fail...At least you can say you tried it! But if you do attempt it, please me on twitter so that I can read it too! We need to support each other. Anyways, thank you for going along with me on this particular ride. **


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